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Reproductive biology of Sabellaria wilsoni (Sabellariidae: Polychaeta), an important ecosystem engineer on the Amazon coast

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2016

D. Aviz ,
A.J.A. Pinto ,
M.A.P. Ferreira ,
R.M. Rocha  and
J.S. Rosa Filho
D. Aviz*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Geociência, Universidade Federal do Pará, Av. Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA. CEP: 66075-110, Brazil
A.J.A. Pinto
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Geociência, Universidade Federal do Pará, Av. Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA. CEP: 66075-110, Brazil
M.A.P. Ferreira
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Imunohistoquímica e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Rua Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA. CEP: 66075-110, Brazil
R.M. Rocha
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Imunohistoquímica e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Rua Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA. CEP: 66075-110, Brazil
J.S. Rosa Filho
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Bentos, Departamento de Oceanografia, Centro de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n. Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE. CEP: 50670-901, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: D. Aviz, Laboratório de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Geociência, Universidade Federal do Pará. Av. Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA. CEP: 66075-110, Brazil. Email: daiane.aviz@gmail.com
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Abstract

The sabellariid worms are important ecosystem engineers in coastal zones, due to their ability to construct sand reefs, modify environments and structure biological communities. This article describes the reproductive biology of Sabellaria wilsoni on a beach of the Amazon coast. Each month between May 2008 and April 2009, specimens were collected for morphometric and histological analyses for sexing and determination of gonadal maturity. In females, the number and diameter of the oocytes at different stages of vitellogenesis were also recorded. The results showed that the species is dioecious, with sexual reproduction, females larger than males, and a female-biased sex ratio (overall, 1.6♀: 1♂). Four distinct stages of gonadal maturation were identified in the males and females – (i) initial development, (ii) maturing, (iii) mature and (iv) spawning. Sexual maturity is attained rapidly, and reproduction is continuous, with two breeding peaks, one in the dry season, related to the increased intensity of hydrodynamic conditions and reef erosion; and the other in the rainy season, when the availability of space and nutrients increases. The reproductive strategy of the species reinforces the classification of the sabellariids as r-strategists, adapted to colonize habitats with unstable environmental conditions.

Keywords

Reproductionbiogenic reef-forming wormsabellariidsAmazon beachBrazil
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 98 , Issue 4 , June 2018 , pp. 743 - 754
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2016 

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