Cephalopod Reproductive Strategies Derived from Embryonic Shell Size
Biol. Rev. (2017), pp. 000–000. 1 doi: 10.1111/brv.12341 Cephalopod embryonic shells as a tool to reconstruct reproductive strategies in extinct taxa Vladimir Laptikhovsky1,∗, Svetlana Nikolaeva2,3,4 and Mikhail Rogov5 1Fisheries Division, Cefas, Lowestoft, NR33 0HT, U.K. 2Department of Earth Sciences Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, U.K. 3Laboratory of Molluscs Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia 4Laboratory of Stratigraphy of Oil and Gas Bearing Reservoirs Kazan Federal University, Kazan, 420000, Russia 5Department of Stratigraphy Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119017, Russia ABSTRACT An exhaustive study of existing data on the relationship between egg size and maximum size of embryonic shells in 42 species of extant cephalopods demonstrated that these values are approximately equal regardless of taxonomy and shell morphology. Egg size is also approximately equal to mantle length of hatchlings in 45 cephalopod species with rudimentary shells. Paired data on the size of the initial chamber versus embryonic shell in 235 species of Ammonoidea, 46 Bactritida, 13 Nautilida, 22 Orthocerida, 8 Tarphycerida, 4 Oncocerida, 1 Belemnoidea, 4 Sepiida and 1 Spirulida demonstrated that, although there is a positive relationship between these parameters in some taxa, initial chamber size cannot be used to predict egg size in extinct cephalopods; the size of the embryonic shell may be more appropriate for this task. The evolution of reproductive strategies in cephalopods in the geological past was marked by an increasing significance of small-egged taxa, as is also seen in simultaneously evolving fish taxa. Key words: embryonic shell, initial chamber, hatchling, egg size, Cephalopoda, Ammonoidea, reproductive strategy, Nautilida, Coleoidea.
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