Effects of Experimental Change in Egg Size on Development of Planktotrophic Larvae of Marin

海洋无脊椎动物的浮游性摄食幼虫总是从含有少量蛋黄的小卵发育而来。为了完成发育，幼虫必须以周围海水中的悬浮食物颗粒为食，以补充卵中提供的储备。在这个项目中，可用于发育到最初饲养幼虫阶段的材料的数量将通过改变早期胚胎中的细胞数量来进行实验操作。将量化摄食开始时对幼虫初始形态(大小、形状、摄食结构)的影响。随后的幼虫的生长和发育将在限制和非限制的食物条件下进行评估。这项研究项目试图阐明父母投资水平变化的重要功能和发展后果。这些结果适用于海洋无脊椎动物的生活史、生态学和进化的预测模型，以及远洋悬浮捕食者的觅食。

Pelagic, feeding larvae of marine invertebrates invariably develop from small eggs that contain little yolk. In order to complete development, larvae must feed on suspended food particles in the surrounding seawater to supplement the reserves provided in the egg. In this project, the amount of material available for development to the initial feeding larval stage will be experimentally manipulated by altering the number of cells in the early embryo. The effect on initial larval morphology (size, shape, feeding structures) at the onset of feeding will be quantified. Subsequent larval growth and development will be evaluated under limiting and nonlimiting food conditions. This research project seeks to elucidate the important functional and developmental consequences of a change in the level of parental investment. The results apply to predictive models of life history ecology and evolution in marine invertebrates and foraging by pelagic suspension feeders.