A review of the reproductive patterns of gastropod mollusks from Mexico

The reproductive cycles of seven gastropods were analyzed to determine the variability and similarities in their cycles under diverse environmental conditions: (1) Hexaplex erythrostomus (Swainson, 1831), a carnivore; and (2) Strombus gracilior soweby, 1825, an herbivore, both from Conception Bay, Baja California; (3) Strombus pugilis Linnaeus, 1758, an herbivore; (4) Melongena corona (Gmelin, 1791); and (5) Fasciolaria tulipa (Linnaeus, 1758), all carnivores from the littoral zone of Campeche Bank; (6) Melongena corona bispinosa (Philippi, 1844), a carnivore from the littoral zone of the Yucatan Peninsula; and (7) Strombus gigas Linnaeus, 1758 an herbivore from two different coral reefs, Banco Chinchorro in the Caribbean Sea and Alacranes reef in the Gulf of Mexico. Species inhabiting the same locality differed in their periods of maximum spawning activity. This study identified two gametogenic strategies as a response to the environment: (1) fast gametogenesis during a short period of time (F. tulipa and S. gigas from Chinchorro), and (2) continuous gametogenesis throughout most of the year (S. gigas from Alacranes, H. eiythrostomus, S. gracilior, M. corona, and M. corona bispinosa). Variation in the reproductive cycle of a species among different localities can be related to levels of environmental instability. Predation and competition induce massive spawning and reduction of the spawning period.