Evol Ecol Res 4: 239-246 (2002)     Full PDF if your library subscribes.

Shrimp adjust their sex ratio to fluctuating age distributions

Eric L. Charnov^1,2 and Robert W. Hannah³

¹Department of Biology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 and ²Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 and ³Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2040 S.E. Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, USA

ABSTRACT

Long-term data sets that quantitatively confirm basic ecological theory are rare for field populations. Highly variable recruitment often causes wide temporal variation in population age distribution and basic theory for adaptive sex ratio often predicts ‘sex ratio tracking’ to match the fluctuating age distribution. Using sex-changing shrimp as a model system, we test this in a new data set of 20 years duration. The new data support the theory, despite intense fishery exploitation that itself has greatly altered the age distribution in recent years.

Keywords: evolutionarily stable strategy, fisheries, frequency dependence, protandry, recruitment variation.

DOWNLOAD A FREE, FULL PDF COPY
IF you are connected using the IP of a subscribing institution (library, laboratory, etc.)
or through its VPN.

 

        © 2002 Eric L. Charnov. All EER articles are copyrighted by their authors. All authors endorse, permit and license Evolutionary Ecology Ltd. to grant its subscribing institutions/libraries the copying privileges specified below without additional consideration or payment to them or to Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. These endorsements, in writing, are on file in the office of Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. Consult authors for permission to use any portion of their work in derivative works, compilations or to distribute their work in any commercial manner.

       Subscribing institutions/libraries may grant individuals the privilege of making a single copy of an EER article for non-commercial educational or non-commercial research purposes. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also use articles for non-commercial educational purposes by making any number of copies for course packs or course reserve collections. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also loan single copies of articles to non-commercial libraries for educational purposes.

       All copies of abstracts and articles must preserve their copyright notice without modification.