title: Hydrodynamism and its influence on the reproductive condition of the edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.
abstract: Despite the large body of work published in the last two decades on the reproduction of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, the reproductive aspects linked to hydrodynamic conditions and their influence on gonad production remain poorly understood. The present paper aims to evaluate the effect of hydrodynamism on the reproductive cycle of P. lividus. Variability in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) of P. lividus was estimated seasonally from 2007 to 2008 at two shallow sub-littoral flat basaltic areas at Ustica Island (Western Mediterranean). GSI was higher in the sites characterized by low hydrodynamism than in those with high hydrodynamism. Results also suggest a possible role for hydrodynamism in triggering processes of resource limitation (food shortage), probably by interfering with P. lividus feeding activity.
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DiSTeM), Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 22, I-90123 Palermo, Italy. paola.gianguzza@unipa.it
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Gianguzza
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Bonaviri
authors: Ermelinda
authors: E
authors: Prato
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Fanelli
authors: Mariachiara
authors: M
authors: Chiantore
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Privitera
authors: Filippo
authors: F
authors: Luzzu
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Agnetta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D047328:Paracentrotus / Q000502:physiology*; D011156:Population Density; D012098:Reproduction; D014872:Water Movements