Assessing the upper thermal limit constraining the physiological performance of Callinectes sapidus embryogenesis under climate warming scenarios

By

Rodríguez-Ruiz, Ángela
De Carvalho-Souza, Gustavo F.
Herrera, Inma
González-Gordillo, Ignacio
González-Ortegón, Enrique

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-10-7

Original Publication

NeoBiota : advancing research on alien species and biological invasions

Volume

102

Pages

63--79

Subjects

Callinectes sapidus , Ecophysiology , ETS , ETS , heatwaves , larval ecology , maternal effects , thermal stress

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sophia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.102.148122

 

Abstract

Embryonic development represents a vulnerable life stage in marine organisms, yet its role in shaping the invasion success of non-native species under climate change remains understudied. In this study, we assessed the upper thermal sensitivity of embryogenesis of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus, a globally invasive species, by quantifying their physiological responses across a temperature gradient relevant to projected climate warming scenarios. Using Electron Transport System (ETS) activity as a proxy for aerobic metabolism, we evaluated respiration, egg size, hatching time, and larval morphology in brooding eggs incubated at 22 °C, 24 °C, 26 °C, and 28 °C. Elevated temperatures induced increased ETS activity, indicating heightened metabolic stress, and were associated with reduced egg size and earlier hatching of malformed, non-viable larvae. Within the Oxygen- and Capacity-Limited Thermal Tolerance (OCLTT) framework, we identified a physiological pejus range (24–26 °C) beyond which embryonic performance declined. These results suggest that moderate warming may accelerate development and facilitate invasion, but extreme temperatures constrain aerobic capacity and compromise larval viability. Our results highlight embryogenesis as a potential bottleneck for blue crab recruitment under future warming, with implications for predicting the invasive potential of marine species.