Sexual system, reproductive cycle and embryonic development of the red-striped shrimp Lysmata vittata, an invader in the western Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Several decapod crustaceans are invaders, but little is known about the biological characteristics that potentiate the success of these decapods in invaded ecosystems. Here, we evaluate and describe some aspects of the reproductive biology and development of Lysmata vittata, an invasive shrimp species in the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, we intend to provide important insights into the biology of invasion by comparing the reproductive traits of this shrimp with some of the predictions about aquatic invasive species. We used experimental and laboratory observations to evaluate the functionality of protandric simultaneous hermaphroditism (PSH), the macro and microscopic development of the ovarian portion of the ovotestes, the reproductive cycle, and the embryonic development of L. vittata. We confirm the functionality of PSH in L. vittata. This shrimp has a rapid reproductive cycle; the ovarian portion of the ovotestes develops (mean ± SD) 6.28 ± 1.61 days after spawning. Embryonic development also occurs over a short time, with a mean (± SD) of 8.37 ± 0.85 days. The larvae hatch without macroscopically visible yolk reserves. Our study provides evidence that the invasive shrimp L. vittata has reproductive and embryonic developmental characteristics (i.e., short generation time and high reproductive capacity) that may be favorable to the establishment of populations during invasive processes.

Identification of Peptides and Their GPCRs in the Peppermint Shrimp Lysmata vittata, a Protandric Simultaneous Hermaphrodite Species

“…RNAi should be performed to reveal the discover bisexual mechanism regulated by sex differentiation hormones in L. vittata. This species is expected to be an ideal model for RNAi experiments because it is small, has a transparent body and short reproductive cycle (22).…”

“…Stage IV was identified as euhermaphrodite phase, where both the testicular part and the ovarian part of the gonad mature (15). To date, study on the reproductive biology of L. vittata has mainly focused on: (1) the reproductive cycle of laboratory-reared (22), (2) ontogenetic development of gonads, and (3) external sexual characteristics (15). However, the reproduction molecular mechanisms, especially the information about peptide hormones is still unclear.…”

Ontogenetic development of gonads and external sexual characters of the protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite peppermint shrimp, Lysmata vittata (Caridea: Hippolytidae)

“…Although there were three past studies on histological features of the gonadal development of species from the genus Lysmata and Exhippolysmata , they were all based on wild collected specimens and lack of some important details, for instance, both studies did not report morphological characteristics of mature oocytes [12, 23, 34]. In the present study, L .…”

“…So far, the study on reproductive biology of the genus Lysmata has mainly focused on the mating, ovulation and external sexual characteristics [10–18]. As for the study of gonadal development, most of them are on simple morphological observation [12, 19–22]. While an early histological studies on the gonads of L .…”

“…seticaudata at the male stage showed ovotestis composing of a posterior testicular and an anterior ovarian zone [23] and in L . amhoinensis , vitellogenic oocytes and mature sperm were observed in all individuals examined [12]; these studies were all based on specimens collected from the wild. As a result, there is no study so far tracking ontogenetic gonadal development from newly settled juveniles until they reached euhermaphrodite phase for a Lysmata species.…”