Mismatch of thermal optima between performance measures, life stages and species of spiny lobster

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 21235
• Main Authors: Twiname, Samantha, Fitzgibbon, Quinn P., Hobday, Alistair J., Carter, Chris G., Oellermann, Michael, Pecl, Gretta T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 04-12-2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/158; 631/443; 631/601; Adaptation, Biological - physiology; Animals; Australia; Business metrics; Climate change; Coastal waters; Genetic Fitness - physiology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Jasus edwardsii; Larva - growth & development; Larva - physiology; Metabolism; multidisciplinary; Ocean temperature; Ocean warming; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Palinuridae - growth & development; Palinuridae - physiology; Physical fitness; Physiology; Regression Analysis; Rocks; Sagmariasus verreauxi; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Shellfish; Species; Tasmania; Temperature; Australia; Tasmania
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78052-4

In an ocean warming hotspot off south-east Australia, many species have expanded their ranges polewards, including the eastern rock lobster,
Sagmariasus verreauxi
. This species is likely extending its range via larval advection into Tasmanian coastal waters, which are occupied by the more commercially important southern rock lobster,
Jasus edwardsii
. Here, thermal tolerances of these lobster species at two life stages were investigated to assess how they may respond to warming ocean temperatures. We found that the pattern, optimum and magnitude of thermal responses differed between performance measures, life stages and species.
Sagmariasus verreauxi
had a warmer optimal temperature for aerobic scope and escape speed than
J. edwardsii
. However,
J. edwardsii
had a higher magnitude of escape speed, indicating higher capacity for escape performance. There were also differences between life stages within species, with the larval stage having higher variation in optimal temperatures between measures than juveniles. This inconsistency in performance optima and magnitude indicates that single performance measures at single life stages are unlikely to accurately predict whole animal performance in terms of life-time survival and fitness. However, combined results of this study suggest that with continued ocean warming,
S. verreauxi
is likely to continue to extend its distribution polewards and increase in abundance in Tasmania.