Valencia-Vargas, M.A. (2015). Demografía del copépodo nativo Mesocyclops longisetus (Copepoda Cyclopoida) ante la presencia de la especie exótica invasora M. pehpeiensis en México. Demography of the native copepod Mesocyclops longisetus (Copepoda Cyclopoida) in the presence of the invasive exotic species M. pehpeiensis in Mexico. Tesis de Maestría en Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, D.F., Mexico. 76 pp. [In Spanish; English abstract].

476837

Valencia-Vargas, M.A.

2015

76 pp. [In Spanish; English abstract]

Publication

Available for editors   [request]

The introduction of exotic species is recognized as the second leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide. Mexico has more than 138 non-native species of invertebrates and fish in freshwater and marine systems. In particular four invasive species of cyclopoid copepods have been reported: Thermocyclops crassus, Mesocyclops aspericornis, Mesocyclops thermocyclopoides and Mesocyclops pehpeiensis. The Asian cyclopoid M. pehpeiensis is now established in several lentic and lotic water bodies in Mexico. However, information about the biology and ecology of invasive zooplankton species in Mexico is still limited; research has focused on studies of geographic and taxonomic description. In the present study, we evaluated separately the life table demographic variables and also the feeding rates and functional responses (with several prey at different concentrations) of the copepods: Mesocyclops pehpeiensis and M. longisetus (native species from Mexico). Each of the variables of both Mesocyclops, were comparatively analyzed to determine if at any time the invasive species could displace the native species from its natural habitat. In this case, M. pehpeiensis would be more efficient than M. longisetus in competing for the same resource. The native species M. longisetus, besides being a larger species than M. pehpeiensis, had the highest survival rates and best predatory capabilities. These features could prevent or delay its competitive exclusion by the invasive M. pehpeiensis. However, the Asian species M. pehpeiensis presented several attributes that are common in successful invasive species: short generation time, high reproductive capacity and a wide diet range. Furthermore, it was able to better assimilate the alga Scenedesmus acutus and get a better benefit of this type of food, with fertility rates up to 42 nauplii per female per day compared to M. longisetus which produced 16 nauplii per female per day. With these features M. pehpeiensis has a greater capacity to perpetuate their species and would be a more efficient competitor than the native species M. longisetus, and thus more likely to colonize vacant niche or under food limited conditions.

RIS (EndNote, Reference Manager, ProCite, RefWorks)
BibTex (BibDesk, LaTeX)

[Back to search]