Fig. 2

Reproductive performance of gravid females in P. argus. Reproductive performance of gravid females was significantly impacted by the infection of C. conanobrieni, especially in females brooding late-stage embryos. 38 females carried early-stage embryos (I and II) while 52 females carried late-stage embryos (III and IV) under their abdomen. A Fecundity, measured in thousands of eggs, in relation to female lobster carapace length (CL), in mm, is significantly lower in female P. argus carrying late-stage embryos compared to those carrying early-stage embryos (n = 90). Slopes (b) of the relationships between fecundity and lobster CL and coefficient of determination (R²) values are displayed for females carrying early and late-stage eggs. B Reproductive output (R0), the ratio of the dried female mass to the dried embryo mass, is significantly lower in females carrying late-stage eggs versus females with early-stage eggs (P < 0.001). Female P. argus mass (g) and P. argus entire embryo mass (g) were both log-transformed. Slopes (b) of the relationships between egg mass and lobster mass and coefficients of determination (R²) values are displayed for females carrying early and late-stage eggs. The equations are: fecundity (females with early-stage eggs) = -1,100,000 + 17,000(CL), fecundity (females with late-stage eggs) = -430,000 + 9,300(CL), egg mass (females with early-stage eggs) = -1.6 + 1.2(FM), and egg mass (females with late-stage eggs) = -1.5 + 1.1(FM), where CL = lobster carapace length and FM = female mass (dry weight). Female P. argus mass (g) and P. argus entire embryo mass (g) were both log-transformed