title: Form of the individual growth curve and developmental rate of the high arctic nematode Chiloplacus sp.
abstract: The growth of Chiloplacus sp. at 10 degrees C is described by the logistic equation: (formula: see text) where W is dry weight in micrograms, 0.5085 is the asymptote in micrograms dry weight, 0.1725 is a constant which is proportional to over-all growth rate, t is time in days from hatching, and 23.7 is time in days from hatching to the point of inflection of growth curve. The point of inflection is at approximately 47% of the asymptote. Mean dry weight of newly laid eggs was 0.0092 micrograms, hatching weight was 0.0084 micrograms, and maximum adult weight was 0.5260 micrograms. The first eggs were laid 26 %/- 2 days after hatching by individuals weighing 0.3 micrograms. The first offspring hatched 38 +/- 2 days after their parents hatched. The growth curve of Chiloplacus sp. resembled the sigmoidal curves obtained by Ricklefs for many small birds, and was "intermediate" in terms of von Bertalanffy's metabolic/growth types. The growth of probable K strategists like the large, slow growing dorylaimids is probably best described by the von Bertalanffy growth equation (von Bertalanffy's "first" metabolic growth type). Extreme r strategists, including the small, rapidly growing rhabditids, probably tend towards exponential growth curves (von Bertalanffy's "second" metabolic/growth type). The growth rate and time of sexual maturity of Chiloplacus sp., like the growth curve, appeared "intermediate" compared with other nematodes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001110:Arctic Regions; D009348:Nematoda / Q000254:growth & development*; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D012987:Soil