The distribution of marine gastropods is more influenced by larval development than by adult characteristics

Abstract

The larval stage is a critical aspect of the biology of most marine animals, impacting not only the species fitness but also its bathymetric and geographic distribution. To understand the role of larval dispersion and adult characteristics in the distribution of marine gastropods, the present study assesses the relationship among larval development type (planktotrophic, lecithotrophic, or intracapsular metamorphosis), adult characteristics (body size, depth range, and habitat diversity), and geographic distribution of benthic gastropods inhabiting shallow waters (up to 200 m depth) in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Results were generated using literature and linear mixed model (LMM) and variance partition analyses. Larval development type is the most important predictor of geographical distribution of marine gastropods analyzed here, unlike studies with reef fishes. Along with the type of larval development, the ability to occupy different types of habitats and depth ranges were also important to predict the geographic distribution, but to a lesser extent. The similar dispersal capabilities of planktotrophic and lecithotrophic larvae and the restricted geographic distribution of some species with planktonic larvae are also discussed.