Temporal allocation pattern between reproduction and growth within a breeding season of the hermit crab Pagurus nigrivittatus

Abstract

Allocation of energy between reproduction and growth is a fundamental principle in life history theory. In a seasonal environment, animals with indeterminate growth are predicted to change their allocation between reproduction and growth according to the season. We examined the seasonal variation in the allocation to reproduction and growth within a breeding season in the hermit crab Pagurus nigrivittatus. Females of P. nigrivittatus produced smaller clutches during the early part of the reproductive period than later although the frequency of prenuptial molting was lower early in the period. We suggest that environmental factors, such as temperature, may affect the development rate of embryos, as well as the metabolism and surplus energy in females, which have consequences for seasonal variation in the energy allocation to reproduction and growth.