POPULATION DIFFERENCES IN MATERNAL SIZE AND OFFSPRING QUALITY FOR LEPTASTERIAS-EPICHLORA (BRANDT) (ECHINODERMATA, ASTEROIDEA)

Differences in maternal size and offspring quality were investigated for the brooding seastar Leptasterias epichlora (Brandt) collected from an exposed site and a sheltered site. The sizes, numbers, and protein contents of the eggs differed significantly between sites. Females at the exposed site were larger and produced large numbers of large eggs with a high protein content while those from the sheltered site were smaller and produced small numbers of small eggs with a low protein content. The number of juveniles and the protein content of juveniles produced in the laboratory by females from the exposed site were higher than those of females from the sheltered site. The present study agrees with life history models which incorporate the nutritional state of the females, the size of the females, and parental care.