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Shorter but thicker: analysis of internal growth bands in shells of intertidal vs. subtidal Antarctic limpets, Nacella concinna, reflects their environmental adaptation

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Abstract

The limpet Nacella concinna is a dominant macroinvertebrate along the coastal Antarctic Peninsula with two ecotypes inhabiting intertidal and subtidal areas, respectively. The ecological aim of the study was to understand whether higher stress competence and migratory energy expenses in intertidal Antarctic limpets shorten their lifetime and limit the shell growth rate compared to their sublittoral conspecific. We evaluated shell morphometry, age and internal shell growth bands in a large number of intertidal and subtidal N. concinna shells in Potter Cove, South Shetland Islands. Comparisons of their morphometrics showed that intertidal limpets are relatively shorter and less wide, and have higher shell mass, i.e. at common shell height, intertidal shells are relatively thicker and heavier than those of subtidal specimens. Internal shell growth bands showed alternating wide opaque (faster growth in summer) and thin translucent bands (slow growth in winter). The maximum age read was close to 20 years for both groups. Comparisons of von Bertalanffy growth curves showed for shell length and shell width lower growth rate k in intertidal animals than in subtidal ones associated to a great variability, with no differences in other growth parameters. However, when shell height vs. age is considered, no differences were observed for any growth parameter. Curtailed variability of growth rates in the intertidal population reflects either a limitation of the food reserves or feeding time, or an energy gap for shell growth due to the costs for migratory movements and stress defense.

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Acknowledgements

We want to thank the Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA) for the logistic support. We are also very grateful to Dr. Cristian Lagger for lending us underwater pictures. We thank the three reviewers (Drs. Juan López-Gappa, Alexey Zotin and Alan Hodgson) for their helpful comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by Grants from the Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Argentina (FONCyT; PICT-2016–1445 to B. Lomovasky; PICTO-2010–0119 to R. Sahade), and by the EU project 872690 - CoastCarb.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), FCEyN- Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CC 1260 Correo Central, B7600WAG, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Betina J. Lomovasky

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, Córdoba, Argentina

    M. Carla de Aranzamendi

  3. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, Córdoba, Argentina

    M. Carla de Aranzamendi

  4. Department of Functional Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany

    Doris Abele

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  1. Betina J. Lomovasky
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Correspondence to Betina J. Lomovasky.

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Lomovasky, B.J., de Aranzamendi, M.C. & Abele, D. Shorter but thicker: analysis of internal growth bands in shells of intertidal vs. subtidal Antarctic limpets, Nacella concinna, reflects their environmental adaptation. Polar Biol 43, 131–141 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-019-02615-z

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