Polymorphism and Food Limitation in Three Daphnia carinata Populations

The annual cycles of Daphnia carinata in three fish-free ponds in southern New Zealand (Quarry, Taieri and Raupo Ponds) are described. Although breeding was continuous, the populations were frequently dominated by distinct cohorts and there was a sexual phase in spring. Growth rates, particularly in Quarry Pond, were often slow, and clutch sizes generally small. Egg and neonate sizes changed seasonally, but changes were not closely related to clutch sizes and body lengths. In Taieri Pond and Raupo Pond some D. carinata grew to 6.14 mm and carried clutches of up to 154 eggs. The potentially high fecundity associated with large size makes D. carinata a good coloniser, but our studies showed that it also survives well in poor food conditions by growing slowly and producing only 1–2 eggs per clutch. D. carinata showed marked seasonal polymorphism in tailspine length and development of head crests. In winter, crests were absent and tailspines were short and varied little with body length. Crests were first apparent, and tailspines began to elongate, in early spring, before the first appearance of a notonectid, Anisops wakefieldi. By midsummer, tailspines had increased markedly with body length but the slope of the relationship declined in autumn. Laboratory trials showed that both tailspine length and crest development increased in the presence of Anisops. These increases may be due to water-soluble factor(s) produced by Anisops.     

Mortality and growth responses of Daphnia carinata to increases in temperature and salinity

1.  Daphnia carinata King, a freshwater cladoceran, occurs in Lake Waihola, a tidal lake with seasonal fluctuations in temperature (4–21 °C), and salinity (30–2000 mg L^–1 Cl). We hypothesise that these fluctuations influence the seasonal changes in D. carinata abundance.
2. To test this hypothesis, adults and juveniles were exposed to combinations of temperature and salinity. We measured mortality of adults and juveniles, growth of juveniles over 20 days, and their age at first reproduction.
3. The salinity tolerance of adult D. carinata was temperature-dependent. Juveniles were more sensitive to salinity, but more tolerant of temperature increases.
4. Growth rates were higher at elevated temperatures, but reduced by elevated salinities. The onset of reproduction was earlier at elevated temperatures.
5. We conclude that seasonal changes in temperature and salinity contribute to seasonal population changes of D. carinata .     

微颗粒紫菜粉投喂量对隆线溞（ Daphnia carinata） 种群增长的影响

为了探索微颗粒紫菜粉在枝角类中培养的效果,采用Banta液、微颗粒紫菜粉（0．12mg／mL、0．16mg／mL和O．20mg／mL）、紫菜粉酶解液（1．2％、1．6％和2．0％）3种食物投喂隆线潘（Daphniacarinata）,并通过隆线潘的种群密度变化,比较不同食物及投喂量下的培养效果。结果表明：以紫菜粉酶解液组培养效果最好,尤以1．6％酶解液组,种群密度最高,达5．73ind／mL,且高峰维持时间较长;投喂微颗粒紫菜粉的培养效果不及酶解液组,以O．16my,／mL组培养效果最好,最高密度为2．87ind／mL;Banta液培养组的潘群密度较稳定,种群最高密度为3．33ind／mL,但培养的潘体较小。实验还显示,培养液的pH值以8．0～8．2时培养效果较佳。     

The response of European Daphnia magna Straus and Australian Daphnia carinata King to changes in geomagnetic field

This study investigates the effects of lifelong exposure to reversed geomagnetic and zero geomagnetic fields (the latter means absence of geomagnetic field) on the life history of Daphnia carinata King from Australia and Daphnia magna Straus from Europe. Considerable deviation in the geomagnetic field from the usual strength, leads to a decrease in daphnia size and life span. Reduced brood sizes and increased body length of neonates are observed in D. magna exposed to unusual magnetic background. The most apparent effects are induced by zero geomagnetic field in both species of Daphnia. A delay in the first reproduction in zero geomagnetic field is observed only in D. magna. No adaptive maternal effects to reversed geomagnetic field are found in a line of D. magna maintained in these magnetic conditions for eight generations. Integrally, the responses of D. magna to unusual geomagnetic conditions are more extensive than that in D. carinata. We suggest that the mechanism of the effects of geomagnetic field reversal on Daphnia may be related to differences in the pattern of distribution of the particles that have a magnetic moment, or to moving charged organic molecules owing to a change in combined outcome and orientation of the geomagnetic field and Earth's gravitational field. The possibility of modulation of self-oscillating processes with changes in geomagnetic field is also discussed.     

利用隆线趋光行为评价铬的生物毒性

报道了以隆线单克隆Dc42为生物监测器,利用其趋光行为变化评价铬生物毒性的方法.结果表明,隆线趋光行为抑制率能较好地反映水中铬的污染程度.在重铬酸钾标准毒物溶液中,趋光指数与Cr⁶⁺的浓度呈极显著负相关(R²=0.8089,P<0.001),Cr⁶⁺浓度的检测下限为0.056 mg·L^-1,远低于LC₅₀和EC₅₀,平均精度达到5.46%,说明趋光指数法用于监测化学物质生物毒性灵敏度高、精确可靠.     

Relative importance of competition with Daphnia (Cladocera) and nutrient limitation on Anuraeopsis (Rotifera) population dynamics in a laboratory study

• 1 In the laboratory, the growth and reproduction of Anuraeopsis fissa were measured when fed on Scenedesmus species grown in nutrient‐sufficient, nitrogen‐limited and phosphorus‐limited media and in the presence or absence of one adult Daphnia longispina per vial.
• 2 Poor food quality may reduce the effect of competition on rotifers. Competition from Daphnia was stronger with nutrient sufficient algae than with nutrient limited algae. P‐limitation significantly reduced Anuraeopsis population growth rate and fecundity. The effect of nutrient limitation on Anuraeopsis was stronger than that of competition with Daphnia. The Anuraeopsis population declined with P‐limited food in both the presence and absence of Daphnia.
• 3 Exploitative competition by Daphnia on Anuraeopsis was stronger in the nutrient‐sufficient treatment than in the N‐limited one. Density, fecundity and population growth rate of Anuraeopsis were negatively affected by Daphnia in the nutrient‐sufficient treatment, while only fecundity was reduced by Daphnia in the N‐limited treatment. Consequently, in the N‐limited treatment, mortality should be lower in the presence of Daphnia. This result could suggest that Anuraeopsis lives longer when short of nitrogen.
• 4 Nutrient limitation may affect to the competitive interactions between zooplankton species. P‐limitation decreased the quality of algae as food for Anuraeopsis while N‐limitation decreased the susceptibility of this rotifer species to exploitative competition by Daphnia.

     

隆线溞孤雌溞生殖系统的组织学

隆线孤雌的生殖系统由一对卵巢、一对输卵管和一对雌性生殖孔组成。卵巢长管状 ,管壁由结缔组织膜和单层上皮细胞构成 ,末端渐细为一短小的输卵管 ,输卵管末端为雌性生殖孔。卵子的发生是由生发区细胞向卵巢内增殖分化 ,不同成熟度的生殖细胞在管腔内排列成生殖带。根据卵母细胞细胞核的大小及卵黄的累积情况等 ,将卵子的发生划分为三个时期 :卵原细胞、卵母细胞和成熟卵子 ,其中卵母细胞的发生又可细分为三个时期 :前期、中期和后期。后期的卵母细胞含较多的卵黄颗粒 ,最后成为成熟卵子 ,排入孵育囊内形成夏卵。隆线孤雌的卵巢发育要经历五个幼龄期 ,不同的龄期 ,卵巢的形态结构不同。至第五幼龄 ,卵巢已基本发育成熟 ,准备排卵进入第一成龄     

隆线溞精子发生及成熟精子的超微结构

用透射电镜和扫描电镜观察隆线精子的发生过程及成熟精子的超微结构。隆线精子发生经历精原细胞、精母细胞、精子细胞和成熟精子四个时期。精原细胞核染色质凝集成团,细胞质内有线粒体、粗面内质网分布。精母细胞核染色质分散,不均匀地分布于核中,细胞质内粗面内质网聚集。在精子细胞分化形成精子的早期,细胞纵向拉伸,核物质开始浓缩;中期精子细胞呈明显的长条形,精子细胞逐渐移入精巢管腔中央,外围包裹一厚层精子鞘;后期精子细胞已进入管腔中,核物质呈高度浓缩状,细胞质层较少,精子细胞间通过外围精子鞘相互粘连成片。成熟精子分散在精巢管腔中央,外形呈棒状,一端稍钝,一端稍尖,无鞭毛、棘突等附属物;核内染色质解聚,均匀分布在核中,具双层核膜,细胞质层很少,精子鞘为单层,无法确认顶体端。隆线雄性生殖细胞的结构及其发生过程均较高等甲壳动物简单和原始,但在功能上表现出相对的适应性,使以隆线为代表的枝角类能适应复杂多变的生活环境     

食物、捕食和种间竞争对东方田鼠种群动态的作用

采用2×2×2析因实验设计,在野外围栏条件下,测定食物、捕食和竞争物种黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)对东方田鼠(Microtus fortis)种群动态作用的格局.食物可利用性、捕食及种间竞争的独立作用对种群最小存活数均具有极显著的效应,除捕食与种间竞争的交互作用接近显著水平外,食物与种间竞争、食物与捕食者以及三者间的交互作用均不显著;三类外部因子对种群补充量的独立作用效应均达到极显著水平,且对种群补充量的作用具有累加效应;食物可利用性、捕食及种间竞争对种群繁殖成体的比例具有极显著的作用;三类外部因子对种群幼体与成体的比例具有极显著的作用.对种群年龄结构而言,与捕食者及种间竞争比较,食物可利用性是相对较弱的影响因子,在任何捕食与种间竞争交互作用条件下,食物的作用均不显著;三类外部因子均能显著地影响东方田鼠的体重增长率,但三者的交互作用对其影响不显著;MANOVA结果表明,捕食对成体存活率的作用最强烈,其次,为食物可利用性,种间竞争的作用最弱,但三者的交互作用效应不显著.对幼体的存活时间,除捕食的作用接近显著水平外,食物可利用性及种间竞争的作用均不显著.结果提供了食物可利用性、捕食和种间竞争对东方田鼠种群动态作用的充分证据,验证了食物、捕食和种间竞争对田鼠类种群动态具有独立或累加效应的总假设.     

The interaction of Chaoborus size and vertical distribution determines predation effects on Daphnia

1. Larvae of Chaoborus, the phantom midge, are important pelagic planktivores in many freshwater lakes and ponds. The effect of Chaoborus on its prey depends on its size, especially mouth gape diameter, and vertical migration pattern, which affects predator–prey spatial overlap. These two features vary considerably in different Chaoborus species and instars. In this study, the interacting effects of both Chaoborus size and vertical distribution on population growth of Daphnia pulex was analysed with a field enclosure experiment and a matrix population model. 2. In the field experiment, Daphnia were grown in four replicated treatments that included a control (no Chaoborus) and three combinations of instar III and IV Chaoborus of two species (C. trivittatus and C. americanus). Parameters of the matrix model were based on differences between Chaoborus species and instars in capture and ingestion of Daphnia of differing sizes (prey vulnerability) and in vertical overlap with Daphnia in each treatment (density risk). 3. In comparison with the control, the two treatments containing the smaller, migratory C. americanus showed a significant effect on Daphnia population growth rate, while the treatment containing only the larger, non‐migratory C. trivittatus did not. The model accurately simulated these effects. 4. A Daphnia predation risk model, which uses prey vulnerability and density risk parameters, illustrated the individual and combined effect of the different Chaoborus types on Daphnia. Daphnia have a high prey vulnerability to the large C. trivittatus, but overall predation risk was low because of very little overlap. On the contrary, the smaller C. americanus affects only a small range of Daphnia instars, each with a low vulnerability, yet those instars that were vulnerable had a very high density risk because of an increased overlap. 5. This analysis of Daphnia predation risk parameters with coexisting Chaoborus species strongly supports an integrated approach using both size and vertical distribution to determine the ultimate predation effect on Daphnia.     

隆线溞孤雌溞和两性雌溞的蛋白质差异表达

本实验提取隆线溞孤雌溞和两性雌溞的可溶性蛋白进行双向电泳和质谱鉴定,分析隆线溞在两种生殖状态下蛋白质组的差异变化。聚丙烯酰胺凝胶SDS-PAGE结果表明:隆线溞在两种生殖状态下存在明显的蛋白质表达差异,孤雌溞的蛋白条带在分子量约50.6kD、36.2kD、32.1kD和25.7kD处表达量较两性雌溞明显;两性雌的蛋白条带在分子量约87.8kD、67.2kD、53.6kD和35.5kD处表达量较孤雌溞明显,其中35.5kD的蛋白条带为两性雌所特有。同时取两个样品的可溶性蛋白进行双向电泳,每个样品重复四次。双向电泳图谱经银染后利用软件分析可知,隆线孤雌平均可检测到约750个蛋白质点,两性雌溞平均可检测到约720个蛋白质点。同时利用软件对凝胶上的蛋白质点进行半定量分析,发现隆线溞从孤雌生殖转化为两性生殖后有18个蛋白质点呈现显著变化,其中14个点表达量明显下降,4个点表达量显著升高。实验结果具有较好的重复性。取4个表达量显著上升的蛋白质点进行质谱分析,得到两个蛋白质点(16号和17号)的测定结果。其中16号点为一类酸性脱氢酶(2I234),它在动物生长发育的各个阶段大量表达,这类蛋白质在隆线溞生殖转化过程中表达量变化尤为显著。本研究结果表明:隆线溞在孤雌生殖和两性生殖状态下存在明显的蛋白质表达差异。     

Effect of food concentration on the respiration of Daphnia magna

The relationship between respiration rate and dry weight forDaphnia magna was investigated in the absence of food. In addition the respiration and feeding rates of matureDaphnia magna females were measured simultaneously at differentChlorella concentrations. It was found that, besides the expected effect of food concentration on the feeding rate, there also was an effect of food concentration on the respiration rate. For food concentrations above a certain critical level a negative correlation between respiration rate and food concentration was found. Below this critical level the effect of the food concentration on the respiration rate was not significant.     

Reproductive potential of Daphnia galeata in relation to food conditions: implications of a changing size-structure of the population

A field study was conducted in the highly eutrophic, biomanipulated Bautzen Reservoir to investigate the influences of food conditions on fecundity of Daphnia galeata during spring and early summer in four consecutive years. By defining a relation between body size and maximum brood size, the realised reproductive potential (RRP) of Daphnia was expressed as percentage of actual egg numbers of the population in relation to calculated maximum egg numbers. This parameter is independent of the size structure of the population. It was found to correlate generally with mean clutch size. However, deviations occurred if size at maturity (SAM) declined. Extremely low SAM values (0.8 mm) were recorded in 2 years, corresponding with increasing food concentrations. Low clutch sizes in these situations can be explained by small body sizes of ovigerous females, whereas RRP increased, thus reflecting good food conditions. From the comparison of different reproductive parameters, it is concluded that RRP is the most reliable one with regard to bottom-up influences in case of extremely variable size structure and possible predation impacts. Fecundity of D. galeata was clearly food limited during the clear-water stage. Relatively high POC-threshold concentrations of 0.26 mg C l^–1 suggest that food quality was low and may be equally important as food quantity in limiting egg production.     

温度和食物浓度对大型溞Daphnia magna种群动态和两性生殖的影响

在4个温度(15、20、25、30℃)和3个食物浓度(1×104,1×105,5×105 cells ml-1)下研究了大型溞(Daphnia magna)淮河种群的动态和两性生殖,结果表明:(1)在实验初期,大型溞种群密度不断增加,达到最大值后种群密度呈现缓慢下降或趋于稳定的趋势.除15℃下最大瞬时增长率(1.36 d-1)出现在中食物浓度组外,20℃(1.51 d-1)、25℃(1.39 d-1)、30℃(0.69 d-1)下的最大瞬时增长率均出现在高食物浓度组.(2)相同温度下,食物浓度与大型溞最大种群密度间存在显著正相关(p<0.01).(3)相同食物浓度下,随温度升高,大型溞首次产幼溞时间(5～21d)和到达最大种群密度的时间(15～29d)缩短,首次抱卵时的体长(1.75～2.67 mm)减少.(4)在较低的温度和中食物浓度组下,大型溞产生了较多的休眠卵或卵鞍(15℃:(16.7±2.5) ind. 和20℃:(18.3±3.8) ind.);30℃下没有出现休眠卵或卵鞍.除15℃、中食物浓度组外,其它实验组均产生雄体.实验25d后,雄体密度与种群密度呈显著的相关性(30℃:p<0.05;15～25℃:p<0.01).(5)本研究结果暗示大型溞休眠卵的形成受温度、食物浓度和种群密度的共同影响,且较低的温度是大型溞休眠卵形成的主要诱因.     

Daphnia response to predation threat involves heat-shock proteins and the actin and tubulin cytoskeleton

Of all the environmental pressures that all organisms across all kingdoms must face, one of the greatest is the risk of predation. The unpredictability of predation events from the perspective of a single individual is one of the major components of a changing, unstable environment (Gliwicz and Pijanowska, 1989; Lampert, 1987). The panoply of antipredator defenses among terrestrial and aquatic organisms involves a variety of morphological, behavioral, and life-history adaptations that even if they are not life-saving, may enable organisms to complete reproduction before predation occurs. Most of these phenotypic changes are directly induced by cues associated with the biotic agent, in the case of aquatic organisms, the chemical compounds (kairomones) released by a predator into the water. Herein we show that exposure of Daphnia to invertebrate and vertebrate kairomones results in changes in motion, behavior, and life history and at the molecular level involves changes in heat-shock proteins (HSPs) level and the actin and tubulin cytoskeleton. In addition, some of these effects are transgenerational, i.e., they are passed on from the mother to her offspring.     

Influence of predation by fish and water turbidity on a Daphnia gessneri population in an Amazonian floodplain lake,Brazil

The population behavior of Daphnia gessneri Herbst, 1967 in a floodplain lake (Lago Grande) of the lower Rio Solimões was investigated between April 1979 and March 1980 with regard to 1) predation by the fish called tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum, Characidae), 2) water level fluctuation and 3) water transparency. Zooplankton density samples were collected at two sites near mid-lake, where water depth and Secchi disc transparency were measured. In addition, qualitative samples of zooplankton and fish collections were taken at several sites in the adjacent floodplain areas. The author concludes that fluctuations in Daphnia gessneri populations correlate most with intense predation by fish and water turbidity.     

Plankton population dynamics: food web interactions and abiotic constraints

1. In this introduction, I try to follow some developments in plankton ecology, how they have led to current research topics, and how the contributions in this issue of Freshwater Biology are related to these fields of research.
2. Due to several favourable features, such as small size, short generation time and a relatively homogeneous habitat, planktonic organisms remain ideal subjects for theoretical and experimental population ecology.
3. Important current research topics involve: (1) the control of plankton communities by external abiotic factors; (2) bottom-up (limitation by resources) and top-down (control by predators) effects in the food web; (3) the importance of dormant resting stages and benthic–pelagic coupling in plankton dynamics; (4) costs and benefits of the mixotrophic strategy, i.e. the ability to combine a phototrophic and a phagotrophic mode of nutrition.     

Simultaneous effects of food limitation and inducible resistance on herbivore population dynamics

Many herbivore populations fluctuate temporally, but the causes of those fluctuations remain unclear. Plant inducible resistance can theoretically cause herbivore population fluctuations, because herbivory may induce plant changes that reduce the survival or reproduction of later-feeding herbivores. Herbivory can also simply reduce the quantity of food available for later feeders and this, too, can cause population fluctuations. Inducible resistance and food limitation often occur simultaneously, yet whether they jointly facilitate or suppress herbivore fluctuations remains largely unexplored. We present models that suggest that food limitation and inducible resistance may have synergistic effects on herbivore population dynamics. The population-level response of the food plant to herbivory and the details of how inducible resistance affects herbivore performance both influence the resulting herbivore dynamics. Our results identify some biological properties of plant-herbivore systems that might determine whether or not cycles occur, and suggest that future empirical and theoretical population dynamics studies should account for the effects of both food limitation and inducible resistance.     

Effects of food value, predation risk, and pilferage on the caching decisions of Dipodomys merriami

Animals that scatter cache their food face a trade-off betweenthe benefits of protecting caches from pilferers and the costsassociated with caching. Placing food into a large number ofwidely spaced caches helps to protect it from pilferage butalso involves costs such as greater exposure to predators. Ipredicted that animals would disperse food into a larger numberof more widely spaced caches when caching (1) a preferred foodversus a less preferred food and (2) under conditions of lowpredation risk versus high predation risk. To test these predictions,I examined the scatter-caching decisions of Merriam's kangaroorats (Dipodomys merriami). D. merriami distributed caches inclumped patterns, regardless of food preference, but they showeda tendency to invest more in a preferred food by distributingcaches more widely. Under the relative safety of the new moon,they did not disperse caches more widely, rather they partitionedthe same amount of food into a larger number of caches thanthey did under the full moon, when predation risk is higher.To examine whether their cache spacing decisions had a significantimpact on the success of cache pilferers, I measured discoveryby pilferers of artificial caches of two food types at differentcaching distances. Results indicate that the cache spacing behaviorof D. merriami functions to protect caches from pilferers, becauseincreased spacing of artificial caches decreased the probabilityof pilferage for both types of food.