Effects of self-fertilization on growth and survival of larvae and juveniles of the scallop Argopecten purpuratus L

• Published in: Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology Vol. 292; no. 1; pp. 93 - 102
• Main Authors: Winkler, Federico M., Estévez, Beatriz F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 29.07.2003; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Argopecten purpuratus; Biological and medical sciences; Crossbreeding; Demecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Inbreeding; Marine; Pectinid; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Scallop; Self-fertilization; Pectinid; Inbreeding; Crossbreeding; Scallop; Self-fertilization; Growth; Self fertilization; Survival; Hermaphrodite; Marine environment; Mating system; Breeding pond; Larva; Bivalvia; Invertebrata; Mollusca
• ISSN: 0022-0981; 1879-1697
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-0981(03)00147-3

Argopecten purpuratus Lamarck (1819) is a functional hermaphrodite that releases successively male and female gametes during their spawning process. Because the short period between the release of both kind of gametes, the chance of self-fertilization exists, even in natural conditions. The self-fertilization rate was quantified in 10 scallops as the proportion of spontaneous (nonartificially fertilized) cleaving eggs. The existence of inbreeding depression was tested comparing families produced by self- and cross-fertilization. An average of 9.9% of spontaneous self-fertilization was detected. No differences in survival or growth in either larvae or juvenile were found between families produced by self-fertilization and pair mating.