Effects of environmental factors on Tigriopus fulvus, Fischer 1860, a Mediterranean harpacticoid copepod

Abstract

Tigriopus fulvus (Fischer, 1860) is a benthic harpacticoid copepod of the Mediterranean supralittoral zone. The transitional characteristics of this environment forced this species to develop high resistance to changes of environmental parameters. Nevertheless, Tigriopus fulvus life-cycle is influenced from the splashpools physical-chemical parameters. In this paper, we present the results of a supralittoral monitoring performed in 2014, confirming the influence of some of these environmental parameters on population buildups. Because of recent worldwide climate change effects, a threat might have been posed on this particularly exposed organism, whose population density decreased of a sixfold value in the last 30 years. During the three pools (A, B, C) monitoring, the maximum copepod density recorded was 1456 Ind/l (September 2014, Pool C), alongside first records of extinction event for Tigriopus fulvus.

Keywords

• Copepod
• Metapopulations
• Climate change
• Tigriopus fulvus.