The role of chemical signals in copepod reproduction

Because the reproductive fitness of a copepod is influenced by its ability to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific mates, it is important to understand the mechanisms involved in these complex mate-recognition systems. Several lines of evidence suggest that chemical communication plays a role in mate location, recognition and reproduction in copepods. However, the relative importance of chemosensory cues, as well as other factors, including hydromechanical and morphological cues, remains unclear. Some studies show that mating ‘mistakesʹ occasionally occur in nature, which for species that mate only once, would have considerable effects on fitness. By reducing the likelihood of heterospecific matings, species-specific mate location and recognition chemicals have high adaptive value. The relative importance and molecular characteristics of these chemicals, whether diffusible or contact signals, may explain differences in premating and copulatory behavior observed among different copepod taxa. Current research suggests that both forms of chemical communication significantly influence the reproductive success of copepods. In this review, we summarize examples from the literature that may serve as a means to critically analyze postulated ideas and offer new questions for future study.