Larval performance of three amphidromous shrimp species in the genus Caridina (Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae) under different temperature and salinity conditions

Abstract

We examined the effects of temperature and salinity on larval survival, duration, and growth of three amphidromous atyid shrimps, Caridina leucosticta, C. multidentata, and C. typus to infer larval dispersal strategy in the sea. Larvae were reared under 25 combinations of five different temperature (20, 23, 26, 29, and 32°C) and salinity (4.25, 8.5, 17, 25.5, and 34 ppt) levels. Interspecific variability was detected in larval performance: C. leucosticta larvae were able to survive to moult into the juvenile stage at the lower salinity condition (8.5 ppt), C. multidentata larvae exhibited an ability to adapt to the wide range of salinity condition (17–34 ppt), and C. typus larvae adapted to the higher salinity condition (34 ppt) better than C. leucosticta larvae. Larval duration was less variable between species. Thus, salinity adaptation of larvae may play an important role in mediating the larval dispersal of the three Caridina species in the sea. Larval dispersal range may be most limited near the river mouth for C. leucosticta, and be moderate for C. typus, and C. multidentata larvae may be able to disperse broadly under the high salinity condition of the open sea.