Allozyme variation among natural populations of Holopedium gibberum (Crustacea; Cladocera)

• 1 Holopedium gibberum, from twenty lakes in Rhode Island and Maine, were examined for allozyme variation at five loci to determine the pattern and degree of generic variation among sites and the genetic structure within individual lakes.
• 2 There were significant differences in allele frequencies among sites. Most populations were fixed for a particular allele at each locus. Only five lakes had polymorphic populations.
• 3 Polymorphic populations showed significant deviation from expected Hardy-Weinberg genotype frequencies. In each case, there was an excess of homozygotes.
• 4 Two lakes were examined for intra-lake allele frequency differences. In one lake there were no differences. The other lake exhibited significant allele frequency differences between stations at the north and south ends of the lake.
• 5 Populations were examined for the frequency distribution of composite genotypes over three loci. Most populations were dominated by one or two genotypes.
• 6 The results suggest sporadic sexual recruitment and a high degree of genetic isolation among these populations of H. gibberum. In these respects they resemble the permanent pond populations of Daphnia magna examined by Hebert (1974a).

     

Prevalence and inferred effects of microsporidia of Holopedium gibberum (Crustacea:Cladocera) in a Canadian Shield lake

Two species of microsporidial parasites are reported from Holopediungibberum in a small Canadian Shield lake. Seasonal changes inprevalence of the parasites were not attributable to changesin water temperature or to changes in size distribution of hostsover the season. Seasonal changes in resistance of hosts toparasitism, related to food stress may account for the patternin prevalence but it was more likely a consequence of host andparasite population dynamics and interplay. An examination ofH.gibberum fecundity and size structure indicated that microsporidiosisreduced birth rates and may have decreased survival of Holopedium.     

Coherence and horizontal movements of pathces of Holopedium gibberum (Cladocera)

The horizontal spatial dynamics of Holopedium gibberum in a small lake was followed during two summers. H. gibberum individuals aggregated into a single patch measured in tens of meters. Patch movement was extensive throughout the limnetic region, bore no apparent relationship to wind action, and patch structure remained cohesive regardless of weather conditions. Grazing activity by H. gibberum within the patch was intensive, reducing phytoplankton density to half that outside the patch.     

Life history variation within a parthenogenetic population of Daphnia parvula (Crustacea: Cladocera)

Summary Evidence for genetically determined life history variability within a population or a species is rare. In this three year experimental examination of a parthenogenetically reproducing population of the planktonic crustacean Daphnia parvula, we found evidence for a succession of clones or groups of clones that exhibited distinctive body size and reproductive differences that were maintained after numerous generations under standardized conditions in the laboratory. The D. parvula population reached maximum density in the fall and maintained relatively high densities through the winter and spring. Isolates from this fall-winter-spring period all had a larger body size at death and higher fecundity when compared with summer isolates under natural food and temperature conditions. These differences could not be accounted for by differences in temperature and food abundance among the seasons. An additional difference in these experiments was a shift in reproductive effort by the summer isolate which produced a higher proportion of its offspring in the first two broods. The shift in life history characteristics and a summer decline of the Daphnia parvula population was correlated with both an increase in inedible and perhaps toxic blue-green algae and an increase in a dipteran predator Chaoborus. Comparison of the survivorship curves for all of the seasonal life history experiments indicated that D. parvula survivorship was not lower during the summer discounting a toxic effect from blue-green algae. Positive population growth on natural food in the laboratory at this time indicated food was not limiting and that predation was the probable cause of the population decline.Laboratory life history experiments under standardized food and temperature conditions were run with D. parvula isolates from the spring and summer plankton. Genetically based differences as determined in these experiments were smaller body size, lower fecundity, smaller brood size, and shorter life span for the summer animals relative to spring animals. Thirty seven percent of the summer animals also reproduced at an earlier age under standardized conditions. The shift in reproductive effort to earlier broods by summer animals rnder natural conditions appeared to be a phenotypic response as the summer isolate did not produce a higher proportion of its offspring in early broods under standardized conditions.When estimates of predatory mortality were added to the life tables of the standardized experiments, the earlier reproduction of some of the summer animals allowed a population increase under a regime of intense predation. Life tables for the spring animals predicted a population decline under these circumstances. Predictable seasonal changes in biotic factors such as predation suggest a mechanism whereby diverse life history patterns with corresponding differences in r may be maintained within a population.     

Life history evolution and genome size in subtribe Oncidiinae (Orchidaceae)

• Background and Aims Within Oncidiinae, there are severalgroups of species that are effectively annuals, and we wishedto see if these species had smaller genome sizes than averagefor the subtribe. • Methods Fifty-four genome size estimates (50 of whichare new) for species in subtribe Oncidiinae (Orchidaceae) wereexamined for the first time in a phylogenetic context to evaluatehypotheses concerning genome sizes and life history traits. • Results and Conclusions Within the limits of still relativelysparse sampling, the species that are effectively annuals doappear to have smaller genome sizes than average. However, thegenome sizes of their immediate sister group are also small,indicating that changes in genome size preceded the change inlife history traits. Genome sizes and chromosome numbers alsodo not correlate; some slowly growing species have lower chromosomenumbers but large genomes and vice versa. Based on a surveyof the literature on orchids, it is also clear that epiphyticspecies have smaller genome sizes than do terrestrial species,which could be an effect of different water relations or thefact that most terrestrial orchids are geophytic or have distinctgrowth and dormancy phases.     

Cladocera (Crustacea) from Nicaragua

Thirty-one Cladocera taxa are recorded from lakes, rivers and ponds of Western Nicaragua. They include Alona bromelicola sp. nov. found in water accumulations in epiphytic Bromeliads. The Cladocera recorded are neotropical and circumtropical. Other invertebrates found are also listed.     

Life histories of some species of Chydoridae (Cladocera: Crustacea)

SUMMARY 1. Life history parameters of two species of Chydoridae ( Leydigia leydigi and Disparalona rostrata ) were studied in the field and in the laboratory.
2. For both species the number of juvenile instars was variable and tentatively related to initial size of neonate. Egg volume increased with increasing parent length and with decreasing temperature; possible advantages gained by the offspring are discussed in relation to invertebrate predation.
3. The life history strategy employed by the littoral Chydoridae is compared to that of large and small planktonic cladocerans. Small planktonic cladocerans and the Chydoridae (except the Eurycercinae and the Saycinae) produce large young relative to their size at maturity and mature early. However, unlike the small planktonic cladocerans, growth in the Chydoridae is curtailed after the onset of reproduction and in this they resemble the large planktonic cladocerans. This strategy may be related to vertebrate predation and the presence of vegetation in the habitat.     

Redescription of Diaphanosoma celebensis Stingelin, 1900 (Crustacea,Cladocera)

A rare species, Diaphanosoma celebensis (Stingelin, 1900) is redescribed from type material and material from the South of Vietnam. In comparative morphological aspect it is close to D. volzi, but it is relatively less specialized. D. celebensis is known from single locations in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam. It probably also occurs in Malaysia. The size frequency and sex structure of a population from Vietnam is described.     

Revision of the Genus BosminaBAIRD, 1845 (Crustacea,Cladocera)

The genus Bosmina can be differentiated into four subgenera: 1. Bosmina s. str. BAIRD , 1845, 2. Eubosmina SELIGO , 1900, 3. Neobosmina LIEDER , 1957, and 4. Sinobosmina LIEDER , 1957. Subgeneric discrimination is based upon several features of the females (postabdominal claw, serration of the mucro, patterns of the lateral head pores) and, mainly, upon certain differences in the morphology of the male (postabdomen and, according to LILLJEBORG 1900, BURCKHARDT 1924 and KOŘINEK 1971, the first leg). The distribution of the Bosmina subgenera throughout the world varies: Bosmina s. str. is distributed worldwide (except for Australia?), Eubosmina is holarctic, Neobosmina has been found in Africa, the neotropical zone, Australia and Oceania, and Sinobosmina occurs in East and South-East Asia.     

Significance of head and carapace pores inCeriodaphnia (Crustacea,Cladocera)

Twelve species ofCeriodaphnia were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy for the presence of head and carapace pores. Rostral pores, similar to those in the Scapholeberinae (Dumont & Pensaert, 1983) were found in all species, situated just anterior to or between insertions of the antennules. With two exceptions, the pattern of reticulations around the pores was distinctive for each species. Oval ‘head pores’ or fenestrae occur consistently on the anterior surface of the cervical notch of juvenile and adultC. dubia, cf.dubia (from Australia),lacustris, andreticulata. The patterns of reticulations around a fenestra are unique to each species. It appears thatC. cornuta (s.l.) in the Americas has a fenestra, whereas AustralianC. cornuta (s.s.) has none. Minute pores often occur bilaterally anterior and posterior to the cervical notch in heavily reticulated individuals of several species but are not constant enough to be taxonomically useful. Well-defined small pores are situated within narrow reticulations just medial to the ventral and posterior valve margins ofC. dubia, lacustris, andreticulata. These open into carapace glands of unknown, perhaps secretory, nature. Similar glands have been observed in related taxa. Such glands and marginal pores occur only occasionally or not at all in otherCeriodaphnia. Other small pores sometimes occur among reticulations of the head, fornix, and lateral and antero-ventral surfaces of the valves. They are found more often in juvenile or heavily reticulated individuals. As yet no consistent pattern to their occurrence among species has emerged. Head and carapace pores inCeriodaphnia may be most useful in identifying species rather than in determining species groups or evolutionary patterns within the genus.     

Gene Conversion and Evolution of Daphniid Hemoglobins (Crustacea, Cladocera)

The extracellular hemoglobins of cladocerans derive from the aggregation of 12 two-domain globin subunits that are apparently encoded by four genes. This study establishes that at least some of these genes occur as a tandem array in both Daphnia magna and Daphnia exilis. The genes share a uniform structure; a bridge intron separates two globin domains which each include three exons and two introns. Introns are small, averaging just 77 bp, but a longer sequence (2.2–3.2 kb) separates adjacent globin genes. A survey of structural diversity in globin genes from other daphniids revealed three independent cases of intron loss, but exon lengths were identical, excepting a 3-bp insertion in exon 5 of Simocephalus. Heterogeneity in the extent of nucleotide divergence was marked among exons, largely as a result of the pronounced diversification of the terminal exon. This variation reflected, in part, varying exposure to concerted evolution. Conversion events were frequent in exons 1–4 but were absent from exons 5 and 6. Because of this difference, the results of phylogenetic analyses were strongly affected by the sequences employed in this construction. Phylogenies based on total nucleotide divergence in exons 1–4 revealed affinities among all genes isolated from a single species, reflecting the impact of gene conversion events. In contrast, phylogenies based on total nucleotide divergence in exons 5 and 6 revealed affinities among orthologous genes from different taxa. Received: 8 March 1999 / Accepted: 14 July 1999     

Palaeolimnological investigations in Poland based on Cladocera (Crustacea)

The results of subfossil Cladocera analysis obtained from deposits of 26 lakes throughout Poland have been presented. For years throughout Poland a broad range of palaeolimnological studies have been conducted. Their aim is to discover the historical development of water basins and climatic changes in the course of the last 13,000 years and also to investigate the gradual influence of man on the ecosystem with particular emphasis on the last few decades. The hitherto obtained results of palaeolimnological studies, including the results of Cladocera analysis, have yielded information about the development of lakes and provided the basis for plans of certain reservoirs and their basins. Over the past years, analysis of subfossil Cladocera has become one of the leading palaeolimnological methods. The results of detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of Cladocera remains from sediments of 15 lakes allowed for a reconstruction of the lakes' development. The littoral and limnetic regions, changing trophy, from oligotrophy to advanced eutrophication, changes in pH and fluctuation of water levels, as well as changes resulting from settlement — from Mesolithic and Neolithic through Medieval times until the present — have been reconstructed. For individual lakes, phases of Cladocera development and periods of eutrophication were indicated which partially correlated with certain pollen zones as well as periods of human impact and geochemical effects.     

Ecological correlates of body size and egg size in parasitic Ascothoracida and Rhizocephala (Crustacea)

In order to identify key factors in the evolution of life history traits in Ascothoracida and Rhizocephala (two groups of crustacean parastes of invertebrates), comparative analyses were performed using phylogenetically independent contrasts. Among 59 ascothoracidan species, latitude correlated positively with body size, whereas there was no relationship between water depth and body size. Body size also correlated strongly with egg size; however, once corrected for body size, egg size was not related to either latitude or water depth. Among 91 rhizocephalan species, neither latitude nor water depth correlated with body size. However, host species of larger sizes harboured larger species of rhizocephalan parasites. Egg size of rhizocephalans did not correlate with body size, and was not influenced by either latitude or water depth. The patterns observed in this study show both differences from an similarities to those reported for other groups of crustacean parasites, and suggest that adaptations to similar selective pressures are not always identical among distantly-related taxa.     

Pokey,a New DNA Transposon in Daphnia (Cladocera: Crustacea)

We report the complete sequence of two representatives of the transposable element, Pokey, isolated from the ribosomal DNA of the cladoceran, Daphnia pulicaria. We describe the general features of this element, which confirms its classification as a DNA transposon. We show that Pokey is similar to piggyBac and, as such, is a member of the TTAA-specific family of elements. Pokey is putatively autonomous, possessing an open reading frame that encodes a putative protein with similarity to piggyBac's transposase, in addition to putative proteins from Drosophila and human LOOPER elements, and several human proteins of unknown function. We show that these proteins all contain amino acid motifs that are perhaps conserved for similar functions. We demonstrate that Pokey is carrying several regions of similarity to Daphnia pulex IGS sequences, likely the result of some sort of recombination event with the host genome. Pokey inserts into a conserved region of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene known to contain other arthropod elements, suggesting that this location is a hot spot for insertional activity. However, Pokey is unique in that it is the only DNA transposon yet known to insert into this region, as other such insertions are non-LTR retrotransposons. It is now clear that this "ecological niche" has been effectively exploited by both retrotransposons and DNA transposons.     

Life history adaptation of Tanymastix stagnalis (Crustacea,Branchiopoda) to habitat characteristics

Life histories of two populations of Tanymastix stagnalisfrom sites in central Italy, differing in climate and altitude above sea level, were compared to obtain information on the tolerance limits of this species.Temperature was the main factor affecting the biology of Tanymastix stagnalis. Significant differences in growth patterns occurred at different sites. A colder climate induced delayed hatching, slower differentiation and maturation, but a longer life span in the mountain population (Forca Canapine) than in the plain (Fosso dei Mergani).Both populations exhibited an initial fluctuating sex ratio, which later became female biased, a pattern which could be the consequence of adaptation to the unstable nature of the biotopes studied.     

Occurrence of Cladocera (Crustacea) in subterranean waters in Yugoslavia

Contrary to some localities in France and Spain, Cladocera occur in hypogean waters in Yugoslavia very sporadically. Beside the stygobitic species, Alona hercegovinae from caves and Alona smirnovi from interstitial waters, particularly some other Chydoridae seem to be suited for hypogean life. Chydorus sphaericus, reputed as one of the most euryoecious cladocerans, occurs also the deepest in interstitial waters as well as in caves. Other species, found in hypogean waters are Simocephalus vetulus, Ilyocryptus sordidus, Eurycercus lamellatus, Chydorus ovalis, Leydigia leydigi, Acroperus harpae and Biapertura affnis.     

Global diversity of cladocerans (Cladocera; Crustacea) in freshwater

Cladocera is a primarily-freshwater monophyletic group, an important component of the microcrustacean zooplankton. They inhabit most types of continental fresh and saline water habitats, occurring more abundantly in both temporary and permanent stagnant waters. Cladocera is an ancient group of Palaeozoic origin. About 620 species are currently known, but we estimate that the real number of species is 2–4 times higher. A number of currently-recognised widespread species can be expected to harbour extensive cryptic diversity. Guest editors: E. V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment