Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Sex-biased colour polymorphism in the marine ostracod Paradoxostoma variabile (Crustacea)

Hull, Susan L.; Rollinson, Daniel

Authors

Profile Image

Dr Sue Hull S.Hull@hull.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology and Ecology/ Programme Director, Marine Biology

Daniel Rollinson



Abstract

Samples of four species of algae were collected from three mid-shore pools on each of three shores on the north-east coast of England in order to describe colour polymorphism in the common intertidal ostracod Paradoxostoma variabile. Eight different colour morphs were found within the populations. On all shores, male P. variabile occurred in significantly higher densities than did the females, and males exhibited a significantly higher colour morph diversity and colour morph richness than females. On two out of three shores, males showed a significant association in colour morph frequency with algal species (but the pattern was not consistent between shores), but no such association was found in the female populations. In either sex, colour morph diversity did not vary between algal species but samples of male ostracods from the shore at Holbeck contained a significantly higher diversity of colour morphs than samples from the other two shores. In the laboratory, neither sex demonstrated a specific association with algal species suggesting that habitat selection is not an important factor in maintaining colour morph frequencies in this species.

Citation

Hull, S. L., & Rollinson, D. (2000). Sex-biased colour polymorphism in the marine ostracod Paradoxostoma variabile (Crustacea). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK, 80(1), 69-73. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315499001575

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 12, 1999
Publication Date Feb 1, 2000
Journal JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
Print ISSN 0025-3154
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 80
Issue 1
Pages 69-73
DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315499001575
Keywords Aquatic Science
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/409483
Publisher URL https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/sexbiased-colour-polymorphism-in-the-marine-ostracod-paradoxostoma-variabile-crustacea/5B86674109C2CF91659ADD564CC07601