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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 61(6)

Life history and reproduction of two abundant mysids (Mysidacea: Mysidae) in an intermittently open New Zealand estuary

Adrian W. T. Lill A , Aparna Lal A and Gerard P. Closs A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.

B Corresponding author. Email: gerry.closs@stonebow.otago.ac.nz

Marine and Freshwater Research 61(6) 633-641 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF09085
Submitted: 14 April 2009  Accepted: 13 November 2009   Published: 25 June 2010

Abstract

Mysids typically form a large proportion of the hyperbenthic faunal biomass in estuaries and are central to the functioning of estuarine food webs. The population dynamics, annual life histories and reproductive effort of two common temperate estuarine mysids, Tenagomysis chiltoni and T. novae-zealandiae, are described in the intermittently open Kaikorai Lagoon, New Zealand. Mysids were sampled by night, monthly from September 2003 to September 2004. Both species completed their life cycles in the lagoon. There was an apparent spatial separation of breeding populations, with T. chiltoni prevalent in the upper lagoon and T. novae-zealandiae dominating the lower lagoon. Densities were lowest in late winter and peaked in late summer/early autumn for both species. Both species exhibited multivoltine life cycles, with breeding peaks occurring in October 2003, December 2003 and February/March 2004 for T. novae-zealandiae, and October/November 2003 and February/March 2004 for T. chiltoni. Breeding strategy for both species varied over the year with the adult size, brood size and the reproductive effort of both T. novae-zealandiae and T. chiltoni all being highest in spring. The life histories of both T. novae-zealandiae and T. chiltoni in the Kaikorai Lagoon are comparable to life histories described for other temperate estuarine mysid species in large open estuaries, and were not significantly modified to cope with the unpredictable demands of life in an intermittent estuary.

Additional keywords: Crustacea, ecotones, epibenthic, ICOLLs, mysid shrimps.


Acknowledgements

Many thanks go to the staff in the Department of Zoology for their support throughout the study. Marc Schallenberg provided additional advice and comments on study design and early drafts of the manuscript. Comments by two anonymous referees greatly improved the paper.


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