Sporadic fluctuations in food availability may affect larval biology and post-metamorphic development in many marine invertebrates. In an experimental study in the laboratory, we investigated whether different regimes (1, 3, and 5 days) of initial starvation or feeding affect the survival and duration of the last planktotrophic larval stage (i.e., megalopa) of the neotropical mangrove fiddler crab Leptuca cumulanta. Newly metamorphosed crabs originating from megalopae starved for 1 and 3 days were cultured through the first 5 juvenile stages to further evaluate whether prior nutritional experience affects the post-larval performance of this species. All megalopae that were starved continuously died, while 80% of the larvae that were fed constantly metamorphosed successfully into the juvenile stage. Megalopae initially starved for 3 and 5 days exhibited lower survival (55% and 30% of larval metamorphosis, respectively) than larvae starved for only 1 day (85%) or fed constantly. The starvation periods (1, 3, and 5 days) also significantly prolonged the mean megalopal stage duration (12.8, 13.9, and 14.3 days, respectively) compared to the continuous feeding regime (10.6 days). Survival of the megalopae subjected to different periods of initial feeding (1, 3, and 5 days) was significantly lower (15.0%, 57.5%, and 62.5%, respectively) than survival of the larvae fed constantly. The mean megalopal stage duration, by contrast, did not vary among megalopae initially fed for 3 and 5 days or fed continuously (10.4 days). The larval starvation did not affect survival and carapace shape of juveniles, but it did alter their intermolt period, growth, and body size. These carryover effects were stronger in the first juvenile crab stage than in other juvenile stages. Our results indicate that the timing and duration of the starvation or feeding regime experienced by the megalopae may affect their successful survival and developmental period until metamorphosis to juvenile life. In addition, the preceding larval starvation associated with a prolonged larval period may also affect early juvenile performance in specific crab stages of L. cumulanta.

中文翻译：

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食物限制影响新热带红树林招潮蟹 (Leptuca cumulanta) 的幼虫变态和早期幼体性能

食物供应的零星波动可能会影响许多海洋无脊椎动物的幼虫生物学和变质后发育。在实验室的一项实验研究中，我们调查了不同的初始饥饿或喂养方式（1、3 和 5 天）是否会影响新热带红树林招潮蟹 Leptuca 最后一个浮游营养幼虫阶段（即巨型幼虫）的存活和持续时间累积。来自巨蟹的新变态螃蟹在前 5 个幼年阶段进行了 1 天和 3 天的饥饿养殖，以进一步评估先前的营养经验是否会影响该物种的幼虫后表现。所有连续挨饿的巨蜥死亡，而不断喂食的80%的幼虫成功变态进入幼虫阶段。与仅饥饿 1 天 (85%) 或不断喂食的幼虫相比，最初饥饿 3 天和 5 天的巨蜥存活率较低（分别为幼虫变态的 55% 和 30%）。与连续喂养方案（10.6 天）相比，饥饿期（1、3 和 5 天）也显着延长了平均巨乳期持续时间（分别为 12.8、13.9 和 14.3 天）。接受不同初始喂养时期（1、3 和 5 天）的巨蜥的存活率明显低于持续喂养的幼虫的存活率（分别为 15.0%、57.5% 和 62.5%）。相比之下，最初喂食 3 天和 5 天或连续喂食（10.4 天）的巨蜥的平均巨幼虫阶段持续时间没有变化。幼体饥饿并不影响幼体的存活和甲壳形状，但确实改变了它们的换羽期、生长、和体型。这些遗留效应在第一个幼蟹阶段比其他幼蟹阶段更强。我们的研究结果表明，巨蜥经历的饥饿或喂养制度的时间和持续时间可能会影响它们的成功生存和发育期，直到变态为少年生活。此外，与延长的幼虫期相关的先前幼虫饥饿也可能影响 L. cumulanta 特定螃蟹阶段的早期幼体表现。