determining age?
- Thread starter mickey85
- Start date
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
We have field data for only a few species of stomatopod and those data are hard to come by. Basicaly the way it is done is to collect hundreds or thousands of animals alive. If we catch them in the field with their molt skin, we can measure the new and old carapace and tell what percentage growth has occurred. By knowing how long an animal is likely to have its molt skin in the cavity and the percentage of animals collected with a molt skin, we can estimate how often they molt. Put the two together and we can estimate growth and age. It is best to have field data because growth rates change (usually show) in the lab. Our best data are for Neogonodactylus bredini and N. oerstedii collected in Panama. Over a period of 15 years I and my students collected over 100,000 N. bredini and about 20,000 N. oerstedii. From these data, we estimate that animals start breeding after about a year to a year and a half (25-30 mm) and live about 6 years.
Smashers typically slow their growth rate as they get larger. Many spearers maintain their rate of growth or even accelerate it. I think this has to do with the type of cavity or burrow they occupy. Large cavities in rock or coral are rare and smashers hang on to one once they have occupied it. Energy is put into eggs. Spearers typically burrow and can easily expand a burrow as they get larger. More growth is put into growth which ultimately will lead to more eggs.
Roy
Smashers typically slow their growth rate as they get larger. Many spearers maintain their rate of growth or even accelerate it. I think this has to do with the type of cavity or burrow they occupy. Large cavities in rock or coral are rare and smashers hang on to one once they have occupied it. Energy is put into eggs. Spearers typically burrow and can easily expand a burrow as they get larger. More growth is put into growth which ultimately will lead to more eggs.
Roy
