Australian Museum Journal Strategies of crustacean growth
- Shortform:
- Hartnoll, 1984, Aust. Mus. Mem. 18(11): 121–131
- Author(s):
- Hartnoll, R. G.
- Year published:
- 1984
- Title:
- Strategies of crustacean growth
- Serial title:
- Australian Museum Memoir
- Volume:
- 18
- Issue:
- 11
- Start page:
- 121
- End page:
- 131
- DOI:
- 10.3853/j.0067-1967.18.1984.378
- Language:
- English
- Date published:
- 31 March 1984
- Cover date:
- 31 December 1983
- ISSN:
- 0067-1967
- CODEN:
- AUNMA5
- Publisher:
- The Australian Museum
- Place published:
- Sydney, Australia
- Subjects:
- CRUSTACEA
- Digitized:
- 09 September 2009
- Reference number:
- 378
- EndNote package:
- EndNote file
- Title page:
- Title page (112kb PDF)
- Complete work:
- Complete work (916kb PDF)
Abstract
The various species of Crustacea display great differences in maximum size, and the means by which this is delimited have been investigated. Two distinct strategies of growth exist. Some species have indeterminate growth and continue moulting indefinitely. In these the percentage moult increment declines and the intermoult period increases with size, thereby limiting growth: the respective rates of decline and increase determine the final size. Others have determinate growth and eventually cease moulting, usually at the time of maturity: this termination of moulting stops growth, and in such species the percentage moult increment does not decline appreciably with size. The advantages and disadvantages of the two strategies of growth are discussed.