Biotechnology and aquaculture of rotifers

Biotechnology can be defined as any technology that involves living organisms or their derivatives. In applying this definition to rotifers, we focus on their contribution in culturing of early larval stages of marine fish. After almost four decades of marine fish culture in captivity, the success of this worldwide industry is still quite dependent on mass culture of the species Brachionus plicatilis and B. rotundiformis. In mass culture, the rotifers are continuously driven to reproduce at high rates, in relatively extreme environmental conditions of high population density and high loads of organic matter. Therefore, the success of mass cultures and future improvements in these systems relies on a close interaction between basic and applied studies of rotifers. In the present review, we will attempt to analyze why rotifers are suitable for early life stages of fish and to describe, in general, methodologies that have been devised for reliable supply of rotifers in large quantities. Problems associated with rotifer production, nutritional quality and effect on fish health and nutrition, will be discussed. Research on B. plicatilis and B. rotundiformis has increased enormously during the past three decades and these two species are the best-studied rotifers so far. While much of the research on these species is directed or devoted to the needs of aquaculture industry, they are also used as models for addressing basic biological questions, due to the relative ease of culture and their availability. Studies on feeding, pheromones, speciation in rotifers, the occurrence and putative hormones involved in sexual and asexual reproduction and production of resting eggs, are few examples of such studies. Rotifers will probably maintain their role as food organism for fish larvae, in spite of attempts to replace them with more accessible formulated food. Development of new culture methods that will improve the nutritional quality and production efficiency of rotifers may result in more diversified and flexible tasks for these organisms in aquaculture.     

盐酸四环素浓度和食物密度对萼花臂尾轮虫生活史特征的综合影响

近年来,抗生素的环境污染问题已引起人们的广泛关注,其在环境中的残留可对水生态系统的结构和功能产生重要影响。迄今,盐酸四环素浓度和食物密度对轮虫生活史特征的影响研究尚未见报道。以萼花臂尾轮虫(Brachionus calyciflorus)为受试动物,研究了在不同斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliquus)密度下,不同浓度的盐酸四环素(Tetracycline hydrochloride)对萼花臂尾轮虫生活史特征的影响。结果表明,食物密度和盐酸四环素浓度对轮虫的生命期望、净生殖率、世代时间、内禀增长率、平均寿命和后代混交率,以及食物密度和盐酸四环素浓度间交互作用对除了内禀增长率外的其他5个统计学参数均具有显著影响。在各食物密度下,轮虫的特定年龄繁殖率高峰值随着盐酸四环素浓度的增加呈现先增加后降低的趋势;盐酸四环素对轮虫生长和繁殖参数的影响呈现"低促高抑"的特点。3个食物密度下,高浓度的盐酸四环素显著提高了萼花臂尾轮虫的后代混交率,且在1.0×10~6个/mL藻密度下毒物浓度与轮虫后代混交率间具有显著的剂量-效应关系。食物密度的高低显著影响盐酸四环素对萼花臂尾轮虫的毒性效应。     

Review of rotifers and crustaceans in highly acidic environments of pH values ≤3

A review of the literature on rotifers and crustacean zooplankton in highly acidic environments revealed that data from eleven aquatic environments on three continents (America, Europe, Japan) with a pH 3 are available. Seven sites are influenced by volcanism or weathering processes in the catchment area, four others originated from human mining activities. Species richness was generally low. Only 16 species are found and 1–11 species are reported for each area. These studies clearly show that small littoral or benthic rotifers predominate over crustaceans under highly acidic conditions. In the Lusatian mining area (Germany), all lakes are colonized by zooplankton, even the most acidic one with a pH of 2.3. The core community consists of the rotifers Cephalodella hoodi, C. gibba, Elosa worallii and Rotaria rotatoria, with C. hoodi and E. worallii the most abundant. Larger species, such as the rotifer Brachionus sericus or the cladoceran Chydorus sphaericus, occur at a pH close to 3. A similar pattern is reported from acidic mining lakes in Illinois, U.S.A. Many of these species can also be found in less acidic softwater or even alkaline environments due to the tolerance of a broad range of pH values. Elosa worallii and Brachionus sericus are probably the most acidophilic rotifer species, though at least the latter can also grow at neutral pH in the laboratory. Clear understanding of the pH limits of B. sericus in nature may also have been complicated by the fact that it has probably in the past been wrongly named as B. urceolaris (phenotype `sericus'). The typical B. urceolaris cannot tolerate extremely low pH. Overall, generalist species with a worldwide distribution seem to play the major role in the colonization of anthropogenic highly acidic lakes.     

Molecular Ecology of Rotifers: From Population Differentiation to Speciation

The development of cost-effective molecular tools allowing the amplification of minute amounts of DNA effectively opened the field of molecular ecology for rotifers. Here I review these techniques and the advances they have provided in the understanding of sibling species complexes, clonal structure, resting egg banks, population structure, phylogeographic patterns and phylogenetic relationships in rotifers. Most of the research to date has focused on the rotifer species complex Brachionus plicatilis. The use of DNA sequence and microsatellite variation, in the context of the background knowledge of life history, mating behaviour, and temporal population dynamics in these organisms have revolutionised our views into the processes shaping the genetic diversity in aquatic invertebrates. Rotifers have populations with a very high number of clones in genetic equilibrium. In temporary populations clonal selection is effective in eroding the number of clones. Rotifer populations are strongly differentiated genetically for neutral markers, even at small geographical scales, and exhibit deep phylogeographic structure which might reflect the impact of Pleistocene glaciations. Despite the high potential for dispersal afforded by resting eggs, rotifers display persistent historical colonisation effects, with gene flow effective only at a local scale and with marked isolation by distance. Instances of long-distance transcontinental migration resulting in successful colonisation have also been revealed. B. plicatilis is composed of a group of several ancient species and sympatry is common. Despite this, the presence of cosmopolitan species in this species complex cannot be discounted. I discuss future priorities and point out the main areas where our knowledge is still insufficient.     

Heat Shock Protein 60 (HSP60) Response of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plationus patulus</Emphasis> (Rotifera: Monogononta) to Combined Exposures of Arsenic and Heavy Metals

Organisms produce stress proteins as a response to natural and anthropogenic environmental changes. Induction of stress proteins has been reported in a variety of aquatic organisms, including rotifers, exposed to pollutants. Past studies on stress protein responses of rotifers have focused on exposure to single toxicants. In this study the rotifer Plationus patulus was exposed singly and in combination to various concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Following exposure, total protein was quantified (Bradford method) and stress protein 60 (HSP60) was identified using Western blotting. P. patulus induced HSP60 as a response to single exposures to Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. HSP60 expression was increased (2 fold) in rotifers exposed to these single elements at both low and high concentrations as compared to unexposed rotifers. Arsenic exposure resulted in a 2 fold decrease in HSP induction. In rotifers exposed to metal mixtures, HSP60 was induced by the presence of As–Zn, As–Cr–Cu–Pb, As–Cr–Cu, As–Cr–Cu–Ni and As–Cr–Cu–Ni–Pb combinations in the media. HSP60 response to As and heavy metals toxicity depends on the type and number of elements present in the media as well as their concentrations and length of the exposure time.     

大型海藻龙须菜抽提液对褶皱臂尾轮虫生命表参数的影响

大型海藻富含多种活性物质,具有抗衰老等生物活性;轮虫是良好的潜在抗衰老研究模式生物。本研究以褶皱臂尾轮虫(Brachionus plicatilis)作为实验对象,研究了不同浓度的大型海藻龙须菜抽提液(0,250,500,750,1000 mg/L)和不同浓度的食物(蛋白核小球藻和普通小球藻)对褶皱臂尾轮虫生命表参数的影响。结果表明:与对照组相比,食物浓度为1.0×10~6个/mL蛋白核小球藻时,不同浓度龙须菜抽提液对轮虫产卵数、平均寿命、净生长率以及世代时间有显著促进效应(P0.05);轮虫平均产卵数及寿命在龙须菜抽提液浓度750 mg/L处达到最高,分别为16只和13.9d(P0.05)。食物浓度为2.0×10~6个/mL普通小球藻时,轮虫平均产卵数和寿命在抽提液浓度为500 mg/L处达到最高,分别为16只和13.6d(P0.05),轮虫平均寿命和净生长率均有显著提高(P0.05)。相同龙须菜抽提液浓度下,食物浓度为1.0×10~6个/mL蛋白核小球藻下轮虫的净生长率、世代时间均显著高于食物浓度为2.0×10~6个/mL蛋白核小球藻培养的轮虫(P0.05);食物浓度为2.0×10~6个/mL时,普通小球藻培养轮虫的净生长率和世代时间均显著高于蛋白核小球藻实验组(P0.05)。交互作用分析显示,龙须菜抽提液与小球藻的交互作用对褶皱臂尾轮虫的内禀增长率有显著影响(P0.05)。研究结果表明,大型海藻龙须菜抽提液对褶皱臂尾轮虫的生长与生殖有促进作用,延长轮虫寿命。     

Prey utilization by Chaoborus punctipennis Say in a small,eutrophic reservoir

Prey selection by 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-instar larvae of Chaoborus punctipennis was evaluated by comparing larval crop contents to the species structure of the zooplankton community in a small, eutrophic lake. The rotifers, Brachionus caudatus and Trichocerca similis, were positively selected by and comprised most of the diet of 2nd- and 3rd-instar larvae. Rotifers comprised 67% of all prey items identified in the crops of even 4th-instar larvae. Whereas 2nd-and 3rd-instar larvae selected the two rotifers with equalfrequency, 4th-instar larvae selected Trichocerca significantly more frequently than they did Brachionus. Although copepods comprised only 8% of all prey identified in 3rd-instar crops, they comprised 33% of the crop contents of 4th-instar larvae. Both 3rd and 4th instars exhibited a positive electivity for Cyclops vernalis significantly more frequently than for Diaptomus pallidus. We conclude that the larvae of Chaoborus punctipennis can, and do, select between Trichocerca and Brachionus and between Cyclops and Diaptomus.The paper by Brooks and Dodson (1965) triggered a flurry of studies on aquatic predators and their ability to discriminate between available prey species. Although the original work dealt with vertebrate predators, it has become increasingly apparent that invertebrate predators may also exhibit considerable selectivity in choosing between prey categories. The larval stages of the various species of Chaoborus are ubiquitous lentic predators, especially in mesotrophic or eutrophic systems. Although there have been a number of recent publications which deal with the food habits and preferences of several species of Chaoborus, only a few studies have included analyses of larval crop contents and none of these have included Chaoborus punctipennis. This species is of particular interest because it is one of the smaller species in the genus, and perhaps for this reason, because it is frequently present in lakes which support large populations of planktivorous fish (von Ende 1979). The purpose of our research was to characterize the food habits and preferences of Chaoborus punctipennis in a small, eutrophic reservoir which supports a rather depauperate number of species of zooplankters.     

The genome of the freshwater monogonont rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus

Monogononta is the most speciose class of rotifers, with more than 2,000 species. The monogonont genus Brachionus is widely distributed at a global scale, and a few of its species are commonly used as ecological and evolutionary models to address questions related to aquatic ecology, cryptic speciation, evolutionary ecology, the evolution of sex and ecotoxicology. With the importance of Brachionus species in many areas of research, it is remarkable that the genome has not been characterized. This study aims to address this lacuna by presenting, for the first time, the whole‐genome assembly of the freshwater species Brachionus calyciflorus. The total length of the assembled genome was 129.6 Mb, with 1,041 scaffolds. The N50 value was 786.6 kb, and the GC content was 24%. A total of 16,114 genes were annotated with repeat sequences, accounting for 21% of the assembled genome. This assembled genome may form a basis for future studies addressing key questions on the evolution of monogonont rotifers. It will also provide the necessary molecular resources to mechanistically investigate ecophysiological and ecotoxicological responses.     

Presence and development of populations of the introduced brown alga Sargassum muticum in the southwest Netherlands

Of the three Brachionus species used in aquaculture, Brachionus rubens, B. calycilorus and B. plicatilis, the latter is most widely used in raising marine fish and shrimp larvae due to its tolerance to the marine environment. In freshwater aquaculture the use of B. rubens and B. calycilorus is limited, probably because inert food products are readily available as feed for freshwater larvae.The rotifer Brachionus plicatilis is used in large numbers as the first food organism in intensive cultures of marine fish and shrimp larvae. An adequate supply of these rotifers relies on mass cultures. The reproductive rate of rotifers in these cultures depends on food quality and quantity, salinity, temperature and pH of the medium. Removal of waste products from culture tanks leads to higher and more efficient production of rotifers over extended periods of time. Rotifers have to be enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for proper development and survival of marine fish and shrimp larvae.The future use of preserved rotifers and their resting eggs may help to overcome unforeseen failures of live cultures and may lead to more efficient use of these organisms in raising freshwater and marine fish and shrimp larvae.     

Lipid classes and fatty acid composition of rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) fed two algal diets

Rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis), maintained on baker's yeast, were fed for 24h upon two algal diets, Isochrysis galbana (diet A) and Isochrysis galbana + Nannochloropsis gaditana (diet B). (These algal diets were selected for their potential use as essential fatty acid (EFA) boosters, taking into account the requirements of fish larvae). The effect of these algal diets on total lipid content, lipid classes and fatty acid composition was studied. The total lipid content increased after feeding upon both diets but no significant differences were found between the two types. Neutral lipid and polar lipid contents increased and a positive correlation was observed between the neutral lipids content of rotifers and that of the food supplied. However, the content of polar lipids in rotifers did not depend upon that of the diet. The increase in neutral lipid content was found to be higher in rotifers fed upon diet B, compared to diet A which increased the phospholipid content. Non-enriched rotifers contained only small amounts of polyenoic fatty acids, i.e. 18:3n-6, 18:3n-3, 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3, the contents of which increased significantly by feeding both diets. The EFA composition (20:4n-6, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3) of neutral lipids and phopholipids in rotifers reflected the EFA composition of each diet. Diet B-fed rotifers had the highest content in 20:4n-6 and 20:5n-3, whereas rotifers fed diet A and the highest 22:6n-3 content. The mixed diet I. galbana + N. gaditana enhanced substantially the composition of lipid classes i.e. neutral lipids and of n-3 PUFA of rotifers in comparison with Isochrysis or yeast diets.     

Use of freeze-dried microalgae for rearing gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata L., larvae. II. Biochemical composition

The objectives of this study were to test whether freeze-dried microalgae are nutritionally adequate for rearing rotifers as food for gilthead seabream larvae. The elemental composition (C, N, H) and fatty acid composition were analysed in larvae of gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata L., rotifers Brachionus plicatilis and Brachionus rotundiformis and freeze-dried microalgae Nannochloropsis oculata. Four larval feeding treatments were tested: (A) larvae fed rotifers cultivated with freeze-dried microalgae and daily addition of freeze-dried microalgae to the larval tanks; (B) larvae fed rotifers cultivated with freeze-dried microalgae and daily addition of live microalgae to the larval tanks; (C) larvae fed rotifers cultivated with freeze-dried microalgae, without addition of microalgae to the larval tank and (D) larvae fed rotifers cultivated with live microalgae and daily addition of live microalgae to the larval tanks. No significant differences were observed between the biochemical composition of larvae with treatment A (with freeze-dried microalgae) and the composition of larvae in treatment D that were obtained with the acceptable methods for culture systems (with live microalgae).     

Conservation genetics of South American aquatic mammals: an overview of gene diversity,population structure,phylogeography, non‐invasive methods and forensics

• 1 Most aquatic mammals have high dispersal potential, and there are often severe conservation concerns related to their legal or illegal harvesting. Therefore, economic, social and forensic factors often arise in decisions relating to their population management. Molecular markers are essential tools in modern conservation genetics, revealing previously unknown aspects of aquatic mammal behaviour, natural history, population structure and demography. Molecular markers also have been used to define management units, to recognize taxonomic units, to conduct forensic analyses and to control illegal wildlife trade, providing valuable information for decision‐making in wildlife conservation and management.
• 2 We review studies published in peer‐reviewed journals between 1993 and 2010, in which genetic approaches have been applied to conservation‐related issues involving natural populations of 25 species of aquatic mammals in South America. These studies cover just 34% of the 70 aquatic mammal species recorded in South America.
• 3 Most of the studies are related to population structure, phylogeography, gene flow and dispersal movements. In addition, recent findings relate to evolutionarily significant units, management units, forensics and conservation policy.
• 4 Finally, we look to the future and, based on numbers of studies and conservation concerns, suggest which species, geographic areas and genetic studies should be prioritized. Moreover, we discuss constraints on research and suggest collaborative works that would provide critical information towards the effective conservation and management of aquatic mammals in South America.

     

Inducible defenses and rotifer food chain dynamics

Theoretical studies have predicted that inducible defenses affect food chain dynamics and persistence. Here we review and evaluate laboratory experiments that tested hypotheses developed from these theoretical studies. This review specifically focuses on the effects of inducible defenses in phytoplankton-rotifer food chain dynamics. First, we describe the occurrence of colony formation within different strains of green algae (Scenedesmaceae) in response to infochemicals released during grazing by the herbivorous rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Then we examined the effects of inducible defenses on the population dynamics of this planktonic system in which algal strains that differed in their defense strategies were used. Simple food chains were composed of green algae (Scenedesmaceae), herbivorous rotifers (Brachionus calyciflorus) and carnivorous rotifers (Asplanchna brightwellii). In this system B. calyciflorus exhibits an inducible defense against predation by developing long postero-lateral spines. Experimental studies showed that inducible defenses, as opposed to their absence, could prevent high-amplitude population fluctuations. We discuss the dual effects of induced defenses on extinction probabilities and consider the fit of a theoretical model to experimental data to understand the mechanisms that underlie the observed dynamics. Guest editors: S. S. S. Sarma, R. D. Gulati, R. L. Wallace, S. Nandini, H. J. Dumont & R. Rico-Martínez Advances in Rotifer Research     

Local adaptation in populations of a Brachionus group plicatilis cryptic species inhabiting three deep crater lakes in Central Mexico

1. Salinity is a strong selective force for many aquatic organisms, affecting both ecological and evolutionary processes. Most of our knowledge on the effects of salinity on rotifers in the Brachionus plicatilis species complex is based mainly on populations from waterbodies that experience broad environmental changes both seasonally and annually. We tested the hypothesis that, despite the supposedly high potential for gene flow among rotifers inhabiting neighbouring environments, constant salinity has promoted local adaptation, genetic population divergence and even cryptic speciation in B. plicatilis complex populations from three deep maar lakes of distinct salinities [1.1, 6.5 and 9.0 g L^?1 total dissolved solids (TDS)] in Central Mexico. 2. To look for local adaptation, we performed common garden experiments to test the effect of different salinities on population density and intrinsic growth rate (r). Then, we evaluated the genetic divergence by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and performed reproductive trials to assess the potential gene flow among the three populations and with other closely related B. plicatilis complex species. 3. We confirmed that the rotifer populations have phenotypic plasticity in tolerance of salinity, but only rotifers from the least saline lake are adapted to low salinity. Among the populations, sequence divergence at COI was very low (just a single haplotype was found), suggesting a persistent founder effect from a relatively recent single colonisation event and a subsequent dispersal from one lake to the others, and a very restricted immigration rate. In the phylogenetic analysis, rotifers from this area of Mexico clustered in the same clade with the middle‐sized species Brachionus ibericus and B. sp. ‘Almenara’. Mexican rotifers showed successful recognition, copulation and formation of hybrids among them, but interpopulation breeding with the Spanish B. ibericus and B. sp. ‘Almenara’ was unsuccessful. 4. We conclude that the B. plicatilis complex populations from these three lakes belong to a new biological species not yet described (presently named B. sp. ‘Mexico’). To our knowledge, this is the first report of local adaptation of a natural B. plicatilis complex population living in freshwater conditions (1.1 g L^?1 TDS).     

Susceptibility of Ephemeral Pool <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hexarthra</Emphasis> to Predation by the Fairy Shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Branchinecta mackini</Emphasis>: can Predation Drive Local Extinction?

Isolated rock pools in the US desert southwest often develop dense populations of a lithophilic species of the rotifer Hexarthra. I hypothesized that rotifers persist in these isolated ponds due to the absence of either competition with or predation by potentially sympatric crustaceans, especially anostracans. I tested the latter idea with laboratory and field experiments, in each case exposing rotifers to adult fairy shrimp (Branchinecta mackini, the dominant anostracan in this region in winter ponds) in 200 ml microcosms. In␣most cases individual female fairy shrimp had distinct negative effects on rotifer suspensions due to direct predatory consumption of the smaller animals. Estimated effective water processing rates ranged from ca. 50 to over 300 ml ind⁻¹ h⁻¹ and rotifer consumption rates by female B. mackini were between 280 and > 600 Hexarthra consumed per individual predator per hour. Male B. mackini never significantly reduced rotifer numbers in either laboratory or field microcosms. The results indicate that, while perhaps not the sole determinant of rotifer distribution in these ephemeral pools, fairy shrimp predation can have a strong negative influence on natural Hexarthra populations.     

Intensive rotifer cultures using chemostats

Continuous production of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis rotundiformis (S-type) in an intensive chemostat culture system has been investigated. The production dynamics of rotifers in relation to different flow rates and feed regimes show that the growth rate and production depends on the type of algal feed and flow rate utilized in the culture system. It was possible to achieve a mean production of up to 318.84 × 10⁶ rotifers m^–3 d^–1 at a flow rate of 6 1 h^–1 in 100 1 chemostats and up to 261.21 × 10⁶ rotifers m^–3 d^–1 at a flow rate of 40 1 h –1 while using 1 m³ capacity rotifer chemostats as production units. The 3 fatty acid composition of rotifers while using Chlorella and Nannochloropsis in the culture system has been described. The results of this investigation show that the rotifer productivity in the continuous culture system is considerably higher than in any of the conventional culture systems described to date for aquacultural purposes.This research was financed by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), Kuwait, under a contract research project code 86-04-02.     

Inter-population genetic variation in the freshwater leech Nephelopsis obscura in relation to environmental heterogeneity

The temporal distribution of populations of aquatic macroinvertebrates have been extensively investigated in temperate arctic regions, but little information is available for alpine regions in North America. This paper describes phenology patterns of the aquatic macroinvertebrates of a high elevation wetland (3593 m) in the Green Lakes Valley, Colorado Front Range.Abundant taxa were Chironomidae (primarily Orthocladius and the limnephilid trichopteran Asynarchus curtus (Banks). Temperature patterns were related to the seasonal timing of life stages of most species. Phenology of most alpine aquatic macroinvertebrates appears to be controlled by seasonal climatic patterns, particularly temperature patterns. All chironomid species and Asynarchus curtus (Banks) had univoltine life cycles. Multi-year life cycles were not observed at this alpine site, although they have been observed at some arctic sites with colder temperature regimes than observed in this study.     

Enriching Rotifers with “Premium” Microalgae. Nannochloropsis gaditana

The nutritive quality of Nannochloropsis gaditana cultured semicontinuously with different daily renewal rates was tested as a diet for short-term enrichment of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis. After 24 h, dramatic differences in the survival, dry weight, and biochemical composition of the rotifers depending on the renewal rate of microalgal cultures were observed. Survival after the feeding period increased with increasing renewal rates. Rotifers fed microalgae from low renewal rate, nutrient-deficient cultures showed low dry weight and organic contents very similar to those of the initial rotifers that were starved for 12 h before the start of the feeding period. On the contrary, rotifers fed nutrient-sufficient microalgal cells underwent up to twofold increases of dry weight and protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents with regard to rotifers fed nutrient-depleted N. gaditana. Consequently, feed conversion rate decreased in these conditions, indicating a better assimilation of the microalgal biomass obtained at high renewal rates. No single microalgal biochemical parameter among those studied can explain the response of the filter feeder. Similarly to gross composition, EPA and n-3 contents in rotifers fed microalgae from nutrient-sufficient cultures were double than the contents found in rotifers fed nutrient-limited microalgae. In addition, very high positive correlations between the contents of EPA and n-3 in N. gaditana and B. plicatilis were observed. These results demonstrate that selecting the appropriate conditions of semicontinuous culture can strongly enhance the nutritional value of microalgae that is reflected in the growth and biochemical composition of the filter-feeder even in short exposure periods.     

Impact of selective predation by Mesocyclops pehpeiensis on a zooplankton community: experimental analysis using mesocosms

Predation by cyclopoid copepods is an important factor affecting zooplankton communities in freshwater habitats. Experiments provide strong evidence of the role of selective predation by cyclopoid copepods in structuring zooplankton communities. To assess the predation impact of a cyclopoid copepod, Mesocyclops pehpeiensis, we conducted a mesocosm experiment using 20-l polyethylene tanks in which the density of the predator and the food available to herbivorous zooplankton varied. M. pehpeiensis had a notable but selective effect on the zooplankton community. The population of a small cladoceran, Bosmina fatalis was affected negatively, but M. pehpeiensis did not have any apparent impact on the population dynamics of another Bosmina species, B. longirostris. On the other hand, the population of small rotifers responded positively to the presence of M. pehpeiensis, and their densities increased in mesocosms with a high density of M. pehpeiensis. It seems that suppression of B. fatalis by M. pehpeiensis predation indirectly affected rotifers by releasing them from competition with B. fatalis. The results suggest that copepod predation is a powerful factor regulating zooplankton communities directly and indirectly.     

Epizoic and parasitic rotifers

Many rotifer species live in close association with plants or other animals. Most of these associations are of a commensal or synoecious nature, some rotifer species having lost the ability to live independently. Few rotifers are true parasites, actually harming their hosts.The Seisonidae, Monogononta and Bdelloidea include epizoic and parasitic species. The most widely known are probably the parasites of colonial and filamentous algae (e.g. Volvox, Vaucheria). However, rotifers are also found on a wide range of invertebrates: colonial, sessile Protozoa; Porifera; Rotifera; Annelida; Bryozoa; Echinodermata; Mollusca, especially on the shells and egg masses of aquatic gastropods; Crustacea, including the lower forms (e.g. Daphnia, Asellus, Gammarus) and in the gill chambers of Astacus and Chasmagnathus; the aquatic larvae of insects. There appear to be few records of epizoic or parasitic rotifers among vertebrates, apart from Encentrum kozminskii on carp, Limnias ceratophylli on the Amazonian crocodile, Melanosuchus niger, and an unidentified Bdelloid apparently living as a pathogenic rotifer in Man.