The first observation of paedomorphosis in Triturus dobrogicus and the occurrence of facultative

paedomorphosis in two newt species (T.dobrogicus and Lissotriton vulgaris) from soda pans of the Danube-

Tisza Interfluve, Hungary are reported in this paper. Facultative paedomorphosis in soda pans occurred in

2010, a year with extremely high precipitation. The favorable environmental conditions created enabled newt

populations to extend their aquatic life stage in otherwise unsuitable (too saline), though fish-free habitats. As

such, soda pans may provide a suitable aquatic environment for local newt populations in rainy years, and

facultative paedomorphosis may be an important adaptation allowing early reproduction in the following

year possible in an environment that frequently dries out

Cozma, Nastasia Julianna

Mester, Béla

Puky, Miklós

English

Repository of the Academy's Library

NORTH-WESTERN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 9 (2): 443-445                                                          ©NwjZ, Oradea, Romania, 2013 Article No.: 132509                                                                                                                             http://biozoojournals.3x.ro/nwjz/index.html  First observation of facultative paedomorphosis in the Danube crested newt (Triturus dobrogicus Kiritzescu, 1903) and the occurrence of  facultative paedomorphosis in two newt species from soda pans  of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve (Kiskunság National Park, Hungary)  Béla MESTER1, Nastasia Julianna COZMA1  and  Miklós PUKY2,*  1. University of Debrecen, Department of Ecology, Conservation Ecology Research Group,  4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary 2. MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute,  2131 Göd, Jávorka S. utca 14, Hungary *Corresponding author: M. Puky, Email: puky.miklos@okologia.mta.hu   Received: 29. December 2012 / Accepted: 06. May 2013 / Available online: 02. June 2013 / Printed: December 2013   Abstract. The first observation of paedomorphosis in Triturus dobrogicus and the occurrence of facultative paedomorphosis in two newt species (T.dobrogicus and Lissotriton vulgaris) from soda pans of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve, Hungary are reported in this paper. Facultative paedomorphosis in soda pans occurred in 2010, a year with extremely high precipitation. The favorable environmental conditions created enabled newt populations to extend their aquatic life stage in otherwise unsuitable (too saline), though fish-free habitats. As such, soda pans may provide a suitable aquatic environment for local newt populations in rainy years, and facultative paedomorphosis may be an important adaptation allowing early reproduction in the following year possible in an environment that frequently dries out.   Key words: paedomorphosis, Triturus dobrogicus, Lissotriton vulgaris, soda pans, Hungary.   Induced by the changing environment and genetic factors (Semlitsch 1987, Semlitsch et al. 1990, Whiteman 1994, Denoël et al. 2005b) paedomor-phosis (neoteny sensu lato, Dubois 1985) is com-mon in urodeles (Amphibia: Caudata). It is known in about 60 urodele species from nine families around the world (Denoël et al. 2005b, Kaya et al. 2008). It has been described in 17 European urodele species under natural conditions so far. In most cases it is a rare phenomenon but in five spe-cies (Pleurodeles waltl, Lissotriton helveticus, Lissotri-ton vulgaris, Mesotriton alpestris, Triturus carnifex) over 130 paedomorhic populations have been found (Ceacero et al. 2010, Covaciu-Marcov et al. 2011, Denoël & Andreone 2003, Denoël 2007, De-noël et al. 2009, Gabrion et al. 1977, 1978, Henle 1983). Before this article was published, five spe-cies from the Triturus genus (T. cristatus, T. carnifex, T. marmoratus, T. pygmaeus, T. macedoni-cus) were known to have paedomorphic individu-als (Caetano-Castanet 1993, Ceacero et al. 2010, Covaciu-Marcov & Cicort-Lucaciu 2009, Cyrén 1945, Denoël et al. 2009b, Dolmen 1978, Fasola & Canova 1992, Fuentes et al. 2011, Kalezic et al. 1994, Piazzini et al. 2005, Zeller 1899). In our pa-per, we present the first observation of facultative paedomorphosis in a sixth species from the genus, the Danube crested newt (Triturus dobrogicus). We also provide the first description of paedomorphic newt species that developed in soda pans with high conductivity in 2010.  A survey was undertaken to monitor aquatic macroinver-tebrates in five soda pans (Kelemen-szék, Zab-szék, Büdös-szék, Böddi-szék and Fehér-szék) in the Danube-Tisza Interfluve (Kiskunság National Park, Hungary) by using the ’monolith’ method, a sampling method for the quantitative collection of aquatic macroinvertebrates.  During that survey, a fully-grown and fully de-veloped, facultative paedomorphic female Danube crested newt (Triturus dobrogicus) with characteris-tic adult morphology (head size and shape, colouration of the belly, back and tail) was caught in the northern part of Zab-szék (N 46°50'32.74", E 19°10'33.15") on 30th July, 2010 (Fig. 1.). It had an estimated total length of over 120 mm. Triturus do-brogicus is a typical newt species of the Great Hungarian Plain (Puky et al. 2005). In addition to the paedomorphic specimen, a metamorphic fe-male T. dobrogicus was also found nearby in the same lake (N 46°49'48.52", E 19°10'52.05"). During the autumn survey of the same area a facultative paedomorphic female smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) was also found at another site, a freshwa-ter spillage near Kelemen-szék soda pan (N 46°47'59.81", E 19°10'19.56") on 5th October, 2010. Its total and snout-vent length were 65 and 35 mm, respectively and its weight was 1.3 grams. Because    B. Mester et al.  444  Table 1. Mean water depth, mean conductivity and total annual precipitation of the Zab-szék soda pan in the summer of 1999-2001 and 2010 (water depth and con-ductivity were calculated from data of six to sixteen sampling sites collected four times from June to the be-ginning of August).  Year Mean water depth (cm) Mean conductivity (µS/cm at 25°C) Total annual precipitation (mm) 1999 23.6 5,920 790 2000 19.5 8,900 405 2001 15.8 10,830 610 2010 46.7 3,330 959     Figure 1. Facultative paedomorphic female Danube crested newt (Triturus dobrogicus) caught on 30th July, 2010, at Zab-szék soda pan (Photo: Vivien Blanka Viski).   of the significant seasonal water level fluctuation, the salinity of both investigated alkali waters shows hyposaline (3-20gL-1) and mesosaline (>20gL-1) values. These lakes are characterized by the dominance of Na+, HCO3–,CO32–, and Cl– ions and a pH ranging between 9 and 10 (Schmidt 2003). Both alkali waters have volatile chemical systems consisting of four components, of which Na2CO3, NaHCO3, Ca(HCO3)2 are in dissociation and CaCO3 is in an undissolved condition (Boros 1999). The water level of the soda pans fluctuates greatly over the years (Table 1.). This affects the fauna that they support. During a similar monitor-ing survey in 1999-2001, for example, no amphibi-ans were found in the same habitats (Lengyel & Kiss, Debrecen, pers. comm. 2012). This can be linked to salt concentration, and thus, conductivity changes of the water (Table 1.), which was within the range amphibians can tolerate only in 2010. This difference was caused by the 959 mm of an-nual precipitation in 2010, the highest precipita-tion level since 1901 in Hungary. The 100 year av-erage is only 560 mm (OMSZ 2012). The develop-ment of paedomorphosis was described several times in waters with pH over 7 and is therefore likely to be more common than previously thought (Denoël et al. 2009a). However, the suc-cessful larval development of amphibians is an unlikely event in soda pans with high conductiv-ity. This is because even moderate levels of salin-ity are sufficient to significantly reduce survival and delay the development of amphibian larvae (Chinathamby et al. 2006). Smith et al. (2007), for example, reported 6,000 μScm−1 at 25 °C as a threshold for largely excluding amphibian larvae from saline wetlands in Australia with no effect below 3,000 μScm−1. This is comparable to our findings. Similarly to what we found, high precipi-tation was also suspected to help the development of paedomorphosis in L. vulgaris (Ghergel et al. 2010) described from 2007 in waters with moder-ate salinity in Romania (Covaciu-Marcov & Cicort-Lucaciu 2007, 2009). This effect was also recog-nised in soda pans, such as the Zab-szék, of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve. In 2010, these pans did not dry out by late-summer as they usually do in years with low or average total precipitation (e.g. 2000 and 2001, respectively). In wet years, soda pans may have an advantage for newts over nearby permanent potential breeding sites due to the absence of fish predators. A paedomorphic life strategy (Denoël et al. 2005a) enables earlier re-production in the following year; a vital phe-nomenon in an environment that frequently dries out (Denoël 2003). Thus, according to our findings, in rainy years soda pans may provide a suitable, in some respects even favourable, aquatic envi-ronment for local newt populations. In wet years, the conductivity of their water is lower than usual and facultative paedomorphosis may be an impor-tant adaptation to the changing environment un-der such conditions.    Acknowledgements. We thank László Berzi-Nagy, Attila Mozsár and Vivien Blanka Viski for their help during field work, Szabolcs Lengyel for providing unpublished information and the Kiskunság National Park Directorate for supporting our study. We also thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments, which helped us to improve the manuscript and Rebecca Smith for languague revisions. Financial support was provided to Béla Mester and Nastasia Julianna Cozma by the TÁMOP 4.2.4. project (A/1-11-1-2012-102-0001 „National Excellence Program – Elaborating and operating an inland student and Facultative paedomorphosis in Triturus dobrogicus  445researcher personal support system”) subsidized by the European Union and co-financed by the European Social Fund.    References  Boros, E. (1999): A magyarországi szikes tavak és vizek ökológiai értékelése (Ecological state and nature conservation of sodic water bodies in Hungary). Acta Biologica Debrecina, Supplementum Oecologica Hungarica 9: 13–80. [in Hungarian with English summary] Caetano, M.H., Castanet, J. (1993): Variability and microevolutionary patterns in Triturus marmoratus from Portugal: age, size, longevity and individual growth. Amphibia-Reptilia 14: 117-129. Ceacero, F., Donaire-Barroso, D., García-Muñoz, E., Beltrán, J.F., Tejedo, M. 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(1899): Zur Neotenie der Tritonen.

(2005b): Evolutionary ecology of facultative paedomorphosis in newts and salamanders.

(2009b): Sexual size dimorphism in the evolutionary context of facultative paedomorphosis: insights from European newts.

A magyarországi szikes tavak és vizek ökológiai értékelése (Ecological state and nature conservation of sodic water bodies in Hungary). Acta Biologica Debrecina, Supplementum Oecologica Hungarica 9: 13–80. [in Hungarian with English summary]

A multi-scale approach to facultative padomorphosis of European newts in the Montenegrin karst: distribution pattern, environmental variables and conservation.

Associations between anuran tadpoles and salinity in a landscape mosaic of wetlands impacted by secondary salinisation.

Big and nonmethamorphic Triturus cristatus larvae from north-western Romania.

Biogeography and ecology of paedomorphosis in Triturus alpestris (Amphibia, Caudata).

De neotene salamanderne (&quot;skrattabborrene&quot;) ved Stensele. Fauna og Flora

Effect of widespread fish introductions on paedomorphic newts in Europe.

Effects of salinity on the survival, growth and development of tadpoles of the brown tree frog, Litoria ewingii.

Eine neue neotene population des bergmolches Triturus alpestris (Laurenti, 1768) (Caudata: Salamandridae).

Evolution of facultative paedomorphosis in salamanders.

Feeding habits of Triturus vulgaris, T. cristatus and T. alpestris (Amphibia, Urodela) in the northern Apennines (Italy). Bollettino di

Fynd av större vattenödlan vid Stensele.

How do paedomorphic newts cope with lake drying?

Kiskunsági szikes tavak (KNPII) összehasonlító vízkémiai vizsgálata (Comparing water chemical investigation of sodic ponds in the Kiskunság National Park (KNPII).).

Les populations néoténiques de Triturus helveticus Raz. des Causses et du BasLanguedoc.

Les populations néoténiques de Triturus helveticus Raz. des Causses et du BasLanguedoc. I. Répartition et caractéristiques.

Lissotriton vulgaris paedomorphs in south-western Romania: consequence of a human modified habitat?

Magyarország éghajlata. eghajlat/magyarorszag_eghajlata/eghajlati_visszatekinto/acces sed on 30.

Magyarország herpetológiai atlasza. Herpetological atlas of Hungary. Varangy Akciócsoport Egyesület,

Neotenia en Triturus pygmaeus. Observación en el sur de Jaén.

Neoteny and associated terms.

Notes on the presence of facultative paedomorphosis in the smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) in western Romania.

Occurrence of neotenic Triturus vulgaris (Urodela: Salamandridae) larvae in western Anatolia.

On the occurrence of facultative paedomorphosis in the three newt species of Southern Iberian Peninsula (Amphibia,

On the presence of paedomorphosis in Lissotriton vulgaris (Amphibia: Salamandridae) from Danube Delta.

Paedomorphosis and differences in life-history traits of two neighboring crested newt (Triturus carnifex) populations.

Paedomorphosis in Ambystoma talpoideum: maintenance of population variation and alternative life-history pathways.

Paedomorphosis in the banded newt, Triturus vittatus (Jenyns,

Priority areas of intraspecific diversity: Larzac, a global hotspot for facultative paedomorphosis in amphibians.

Trophic habits and aquatic microhabitat use in gilled immature, paedomorphic and metamorphic Alpine newts (Triturus alpestris apuanus) in a pond in central Italy.

First observation of facultative paedomorphosis in the Danube crested newt (Triturus dobrogicus Kiritzescu, 1903) and the occurrence of facultative paedomorphosis in two newt species from soda pans of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve (Kiskunság National Park, Hungary)

First observation of facultative paedomorphosis in the Danube crested newt (Triturus dobrogicus Kiritzescu, 1903) and the occurrence of facultative paedomorphosis in two newt species from soda pans of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve (Kiskunság National Park, Hungary)

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