Sexual dimorphism in subterranean amphipod crustaceans covaries with subterranean habitat type.

Sexual dimorphism can evolve in response to sex-specific selection pressures that vary across habitats. We studied sexual differences in subterranean amphipods Niphargus living in shallow subterranean habitats (close to the surface), cave streams (intermediate), and cave lakes (deepest and most isolated). These three habitats differ because at greater depths there is lower food availability, reduced predation, and weaker seasonality. Additionally, species near the surface have a near-even adult sex ratio (ASR), whereas species from cave lakes have a female-biased ASR. We hypothesized (a) a decrease in sexual dimorphism from shallow subterranean habitats to cave lake species because of weaker sexual selection derived from changes in the ASR and (b) an increase in female body size in cave lakes because of stronger fecundity selection on account of oligotrophy, reduced predation, and weaker seasonality. We measured body size and two sexually dimorphic abdominal appendages for all 31 species and several behaviours related to male competition (activity, risk-taking, exploration) for 12 species. Species with an equal ASR that live close to the surface exhibited sexual dimorphism in all three morphological traits, but not in behaviour. The body size of females increased from the surface to cave lakes, but no such trend was observed in males. In cave lake species, males and females differed neither morphologically nor behaviourally. Our results are consistent with the possibility that sexual and fecundity selection covary across the three habitats, which indirectly and directly, respectively, shape the degree of sexual dimorphism in Niphargus species.

Functional trait dataset of European groundwater Amphipoda: Niphargidae and Typhlogammaridae.

Groundwater represents a vast, but mostly hidden and inaccessible ecosystem. Although often overlooked in freshwater research, groundwater organisms form a significant part of freshwater biodiversity, whereas their functions are crucial in different ecosystem processes. Knowledge on functional traits is generally lacking for most groundwater species worldwide, yet European groundwater amphipods, particularly the family Niphargidae, are an exception. They are well-researched and used as a model system in ecological and evolutionary studies. We focused on this group to assemble a first functional trait dataset dedicated to groundwater species. We gathered data for eight morphological functional traits quantified through 27 measurements for 1123 individuals which represent 180 species and 314 MOTUs. Besides functional trait data, every entry is accompanied with locality information, including habitat type, and DNA sequences if available. The structure of the dataset and data processing information provided along enable wide applicability and extension to other amphipod taxa. When coupled with phylogeny, the dataset may further enhance different aspects of groundwater research, including biodiversity patterns, community assembly processes, and trait evolution.

Temperature variation in caves and its significance for subterranean ecosystems.

Climate change affects all ecosystems, but subterranean ecosystems are repeatedly neglected from political and public agendas. Cave habitats are home to unknown and endangered species, with low trait variability and intrinsic vulnerability to recover from human-induced disturbances. We studied the annual variability and cyclicity of temperatures in caves vis-à-vis surface in different climatic areas. We hypothesize that cave temperatures follow the average temperature pattern at the surface for each location with a slight delay in the signal, but we found three different thermal patterns occurring in caves: (1) high positive correlation and a similar thermal pattern to the surface, (2) low correlation and a slight thermal delay of the signal from the surface, and (3) high negative correlation with an extreme delay from the surface. We found daily thermal cycles in some caves, which may potentially control the circadian rhythms of cave organisms. Our results show that caves had lower thermal amplitude than the surface, and that thermal averages within caves approximately correspond to the to the annual average of surface temperature. Caves buffer external temperature and act as refugia for biota in extreme climatic events. Likewise, temperature increases at surface will lead to increment in caves, threatening subterranean biota and ecosystem services.

Is the relationship between body length and body mass consistent across habitats? A case study on Niphargus (Crustacea: Amphipoda).

Body size is one of the main characteristics of any organism and influences various aspects of individual's biology. In animal ecology, it represents a key functional trait that can be quantified using different measures and is often used as a proxy for different organismal functions. The way we quantify body size is critical in any study using this measure alone or to scale other organismal traits. It is especially important in groups that act as model systems across different fields of biological research. One of such groups are amphipods, which are at focus in many ecological studies where appropriate quantification of body size is needed. Here, we explored the relationship between body length and body mass in the largest freshwater amphipod genus Niphargus, and evaluated whether the two measures lead to different conclusions in a putative ecological study of species coexistence. We selected 16 species inhabiting two different subterranean habitats, cave lakes and cave streams. The relationship between log-transformed body mass and body length was linear in all species, but body mass increased steeper among species from cave lakes than from cave streams, reflecting the stouter body shape of the former. In the simulated ecological study, the comparisons of the two measures showed that they may yield different results: in 10 % of cases, body length detected differences between species when body mass did not and vice versa (13 %). Usage of body length or body mass can thus lead to different conclusions. We recommend avoiding direct transformations between body length and body mass in ecological studies. Whenever needed, such transformations should be done with caution using habitat-specific body mass - body length ratios.

Inferring predator-prey interaction in the subterranean environment: a case study from Dinaric caves.

Predator-prey interactions are among the most important biotic interactions shaping ecological communities and driving the evolution of defensive traits. These interactions and their effects on species received little attention in extreme and remote environments, where possibilities for direct observations and experimental manipulation of the animals are limited. In this paper, we study such type of environment, namely caves of the Dinarides (Europe), combining spatial and phylogenetic methods. We focused on several species of Niphargus amphipods living in phreatic lakes, as some of them use the dorsal spines as putative morphological defensive traits. We predicted that these spines represent a defense strategy against the olm (Proteus anguinus), a top predator species in the subterranean waters. We tested for spatial overlap of the olm and Niphargus species and showed that spined species live in closer proximity to and co-occur more frequently with the olm than non-spined species. Modeling of the evolution of the spines onto Niphargus phylogeny implies coevolution of this trait in the presence of olm. We conclude that these spines likely evolved as defensive traits in a predator-prey arms race. Combining multiple analyses, we provide an example for a methodological framework to assess predator-prey interactions when in-situ or laboratory observations are not possible.

No room for males in caves: Female-biased sex ratio in subterranean amphipods of the genus Niphargus.

Sex allocation theory predicts that the proportion of daughters to sons will evolve in response to ecological conditions that determine the costs and benefits of producing each sex. All else being equal, the adult sex ratio (ASR) should also vary with ecological conditions. Many studies of subterranean species reported female-biased ASR, but no systematic study has yet been conducted. We test the hypothesis that the ASR becomes more female-biased with increased isolation from the surface. We compiled a data set of ASRs of 35 species in the subterranean amphipod Niphargus, each living in one of three distinct habitats (surface-subterranean boundary, cave streams, phreatic lakes) representing an environmental gradient of increased isolation underground. The ASR was female-biased in 27 of 35 species; the bias was statistically significant in 12 species. We found a significant difference in the ASR among habitats after correction for phylogeny. It is most weakly female-biased at the surface-subterranean boundary and most strongly female-biased in phreatic lakes. Additional modelling suggests that the ASR has evolved towards a single value for both surface-subterranean boundary and cave stream-dwelling species, and another value for 9 of 11 phreatic lake dwellers. We suggest that a history of inbreeding in subterranean populations might lower inbreeding depression such that kin selection favours mating with siblings. This could select for a female-biased offspring sex ratio due to local mate competition among brothers. The observed patterns in sex ratios in subterranean species make them a group worthy of more attention from those interested in sex allocation theory.

The interplay between habitat use, morphology and locomotion in subterranean crustaceans of the genus Niphargus.

Locomotion is an important, fitness-related functional trait. Environment selects for type of locomotion and shapes the morphology of locomotion-related traits such as body size and appendages. In subterranean aquatic arthropods, these traits are subjected to multiple, at times opposing selection pressures. Darkness selects for enhanced mechano- and chemosensory systems and hence elongation of appendages. Conversely, water currents have been shown to favor short appendages. However, no study has addressed the variation in locomotion of invertebrates inhabiting cave streams and cave lakes, or questioned the relationship between species' morphology and locomotion. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied the interplay between habitat use, morphology and locomotion in amphipods of the subterranean genus Niphargus. Previous studies showed that lake and stream species differ in morphology. Namely, lake species are large, stout and long-legged, whereas stream species are small, slender and short-legged. We here compared locomotion mode and speed between three lake and five stream species. In addition, we tested whether morphology predicts locomotion. We found that the stream species lie on their body sides and move using slow crawling or tail-flipping. The species inhabiting lakes move comparably faster, and use a variety of locomotion modes. Noteworthy, one of the lake species almost exclusively moves in an upright or semi-upright position that resembles walking. Body size and relative length of appendages predict locomotion mode and speed in all species. We propose that integrating locomotion in the studies of subterranean species might improve our understanding of their morphological evolution.