Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Phenotypic plasticity and priority rules for energy allocation in a freshwater clam: a field experiment

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We studied resource allocation among maintenance, reproduction and growth in the freshwater clam Anodonta piscinalis. Recent theoretical and empirical studies imply that organisms with indeterminate growth may have priority rules for energy allocation. That being so, the traits involved should potentially be capable of considerable phenotypic modulation, as a mechanism to adjust allocation. We tested this hypothesis using a 1-year reciprocal transplant experiment at six sites. Experimental clams were caged at higher than natural densities in order to detect any phenotypic modulation of the traits and discover the putative priority rules in energy allocation. We recorded the survival and shell growth of clams during the experiment, and the reproductive output, somatic mass and fat content of clams at the end of the experiment. Shell growth, somatic mass, and the reproductive output of females varied more among transplant sites than among the populations of origin, suggesting a high capacity for phenotypic modulation. However, the reproductive investment, somatic mass and shell growth were also affected by origin; clams from productive habitats invested more in reproduction and were heavier. In comparison to undisturbed clams, the reproductive output of the experimental clams was similar and their fat content was higher, whereas their shell growth was considerably slower and their somatic mass lower. These results suggests that when resources are limiting (due to high density) reproductive allocation overrides allocation to somatic growth. The highest mortality during the experiment coincided with the period of reproductive stress in the spring. Additionally, the proportion of reproducing females was lower in those transplant groups where the survival rate was lowest, suggesting that maintenance allocation overrides allocation to reproduction when available resources are scarce. The results of this field experiment support theoretical predictions and results of previous laboratory experiments that suggest that there are priority rules for energy allocation in organisms with indeterminate growth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arey LB (1932) The nutrition of glochidia during metamorphosis. J Morphol 53:201–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Bayne BL, Salkeld PN, Worrall CM (1983) Reproductive effort and value in different populations of the marine mussel, Mytilus edulis L. Oecologia 59:18–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley MC, Baird DJ, Calow P (1991a) Mechanisms of energy allocation to reproduction in the cladoceran Daphnia magna Straus. Biol J Linn Soc 44:325–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley MC, Perrin N, Calow P (1991b) Energy allocation in the cladoceran Daphnia magna Straus, under starvation and refeeding. Oecologia 86:414–418

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradshaw AD (1965) Evolutionary significance of phenotypic plasticity. Adv Genetics 13:115–155

    Google Scholar 

  • Castilho F, Machado J, Reis ML, Sa C (1989) Ultrastructural study of the embryonic and larval shell of Anodonta cygnea. Can J Zool 67:1659–1664

    Google Scholar 

  • Cody ML (1966) A general theory of clutch size. Evolution 20:174–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Day RW, Quinn GP (1989) Comparisons of treatments after analysis of variance in ecology. Ecol Monogr 59:433–463

    Google Scholar 

  • Giesel JT (1976) Reproductive strategies as adaptations to life in heterogenous environments. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 7:57–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Glazier DS, Calow P (1992) Energy allocation rules in Daphnia magna-clonal and age differences in the effects of food limitation. Oecologia 90:540–549

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurney WSC, McCauley E, Nisbet RM, Murdoch WW (1990) The physiological ecology of Daphnia: a dynamic model of growth and reproduction. Ecology 71:716–732

    Google Scholar 

  • Harper JL, Ogden J (1970) The reproductive strategy of higher plants. 1. The concept of strategy with special reference to Senecio vulgaris L. J Ecol 58:681–698

    Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E, Hakala T (1978a) Life-history evolution in Anodonta piscinalis (Mollusca, Pelecypoda). Oecologia 35:253–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E, Hakala T (1978b) Measuring growth from shell rings in populations of Anodonta piscinalis (Pelecypoda, Unionidae). Ann Zool Fenn 15:60–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinch SG, Bailey RC, Green RH (1985) Growth of Lampsilis radiata (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in sand and mud: a reciprocal transplant experiment. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 43:548–552

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosmer DW, Lemeshow S (1989) Applied logistic regression. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Jokela J, Palokangas P (1993) Reproductive tactics in Anodonta clams: parental host recognition. Anim Behav 46:618–620

    Google Scholar 

  • Jokela J, Valtonen ET, Lappalainen M (1991) Development of glochidia of Anodonta piscinalis and their infection of fish in a small lake in northern Finland. Arch Hydrobiol 120:345–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Jokela J, Uotila L, Taskinen J (1993) Effect of castrating trematode parasite Rhipidocotyle fennica on energy allocation of freshwater clam Anodonta piscinalis. Funct Ecol 7:332–338

    Google Scholar 

  • Jong G de, Noordwijk AJ van (1992) Acquisition and allocation of resources — genetic (co)variances, selection, and life historiés. Am Nat 139:749–770

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski J, Stearns SC (1989) Hypotheses for the production of excess zygotes: models of bet-hedging and selective abortion. Evolution 43:1369–1377

    Google Scholar 

  • Levins R (1968) Evolution in changing environments. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald BA, Thompson RJ (1985) Influence of temperature and food availability on the ecological energetics of the giant scallop Plecopecten magellanicus. II. Reproductive output and total production. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 25:295–304

    Google Scholar 

  • McCauley E, Murdoch WW, Nisbet RM (1990a) Growth, reproduction, and mortality of Daphnia pulex Leydig: life at low food. Funct Ecol 4:505–514

    Google Scholar 

  • McCauley E, Murdoch WW, Nisbet RM, GurneyWSC (1990b) The physiological ecology of Daphnia: development of a model of growth and reproduction. Ecology 71:703–715

    Google Scholar 

  • McCullagh P, Nelder JA (1983) Generalized linear models. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Negus CL (1966) A quantitative study of growth and production of unionid mussels in the river Thames at Reading. J Anim Ecol 35:513–532

    Google Scholar 

  • Noordwijk AJ van, Jong G de (1986) Aquisition and allocation of resources: their influence on variation in life-history tactics. Am Nat 128:137–142

    Google Scholar 

  • Norusis MJ (1990) SPSS advanced statistics user's guide. SPSS, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Ökland J (1963) Notes on population density, age distribution, growth, and habitat of Anodonta piscinalis Nilss. (Moll., Lamellibr.) in a eutrophic Norwegian lake. Nytt Mak Zool 11:19–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Pekkarinen M (1991) Annual ring formation in some unionacean shells in the River Vantaanjoki (southern Finland). Bivalve Stud Finland 1:10–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrin N (1992) Optimal resource allocation and the marginal value of organs. Am Nat 139:1344–1369

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrin N, Sibly RM (1993) Dynamic models of energy allocation and investment. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 24:379–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson CH (1982) The importance of predation and intra- and interspecific competition in the population biology of two infaunal suspension-feeding bivalves, Protothaca staminea and Chione undatella. Ecol Monogr 52:437–475

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson CH, Fegley SR (1986) Seasonal allocation of resources to growth of shell, soma, and gonads in Mercenaria mercenaria. Biol Bull 171:597–610

    Google Scholar 

  • Reznick D (1983) The structure of guppy life histories: the trade-off between growth and reproduction. Ecology 64:862–873

    Google Scholar 

  • Stearns SC (1976) Life-history tactics: a review of the ideas. Q Rev Biol 51:3–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Stearns SC (1989a) The evolutionary significance of phenotypic plasticity. BioScience 37:436–445

    Google Scholar 

  • Stearns SC (1989b) Trade-offs in life-history evolution. Funct Ecol 3:259–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Taskinen J (1992) On the ecology of two Rhipidocotyle species (Digenea: Bucephalidae) from two Finnish lakes (PhD. dissertation). Biol Res Rep Univ Jyväskylä 27

  • Taskinen J, Valtonen ET, Gibson DI (1991) Studies on bucephalid digeneans parasitising molluscs and fishes in Finland. I. Ecological data and experimental studies. Syst Parasitol 19:81–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Trexler JC, Travis J (1993) Nontraditional regression analyses. Ecology 74:1629–1637

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuomi J, Hakala T, Haukioja E (1983) Alternative concepts of reproductive effort, cost of reproduction, and selection in life-history evolution. Am Zool 23:25–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Vahl O (1978) Seasonal changes in oxygen consumption of the Iceland scallop Chlamys islandica (O. F. Müller) from 70°N. Ophelia 17:143–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Vahl O (1981a) Age-specific residual reproductive value and reproductive effort in the iceland scallop, Chlamys islandica (O. F. Müller). Oecologia 51:53–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Vahl O (1981b) Energy transformations by the Iceland scallop Chlamys islandica (O. F. Müller) from 70°N. I. The age-specific energy budget and net growth efficiency. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 53:281–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Vahl O (1981c) Energy transformations by the Iceland scallop Chlamys islandica (O. F. Müller) from 70°N. II. The population energy budget. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 53:297–303

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson L (1990) SYSTAT: the system for statistics. SYSTAT, Evanston

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams GC (1966) Natural selection, the costs of reproduction, and a refinement of Lack's principle. Am Nat 100:687–690

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. J. Jokela & P. Mutikainen

    Present address: Department of Biology, Indiana University, 47405, Bloomington, IN, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Ecological Zoology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, FIN-20500, Turku, Finland

    J. Jokela & P. Mutikainen

  2. Konnevesi Research Station, FIN-44300, Konnevesi, Finland

    J. Jokela & P. Mutikainen

Authors
  1. J. Jokela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Mutikainen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jokela, J., Mutikainen, P. Phenotypic plasticity and priority rules for energy allocation in a freshwater clam: a field experiment. Oecologia 104, 122–132 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00365570

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00365570

Key words

Search

Navigation