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Free keywords:
maternal effects; cyclopoid; nauplius; copepodid I
Abstract:
The constraints imposed on reproduction by decreasing lipid reserves and a univoltine life cycle were studied in the copepod Cyclops kolensis. Egg sizes, clutch size, egg development times, interclutch times, naupliar development times and sizes of Cl copepodids were measured for successive clutches of eggs of Cyclops kolensis. There was a decrease in egg size, clutch size and Cl size with clutch order. Egg development times and interclutch times did not vary with clutch order. Naupliar development times were negatively related to Cl size. Small nauplii took twice as long to develop as large nauplii. Thus, later clutches make a smaller contribution to fitness than early clutches. The lack of a trade-off between clutch size and egg size may promote synchronisation of the univoltine life cycle