| Abstract: | The reproductive success of Callianassa kraussi exposed to a water-soluble fraction of Qatar crude oil was investigated on the basis of embryonic development, hatching success, larval development and survival of post-larval stages. Embryos showed a number of abnormalities, of which only one occurred in numbers that could be related to oil exposure (concentration and duration). These abnormalities were directly reflected in the reduced hatching success (as little as 25 per cent under the worst conditions). The percentage of larvae surviving the two moults to become juveniles was also considerably reduced, while the survival of juveniles at the sublethal experimental levels was found to be directly linked to their history of exposure. It is anticipated that C. kraussi populations, because of several unusual features in their breeding ecology, would suffer long-term damage should the extent of larval recruitment to adult populations be reduced as a result of chronic exposure to oil. |
