Predation in a temporary pond with special attention to the trophic role of Triops cancriformis (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Notostraca) |
| |
Authors: | Dani Boix Jordi Sala Stéphanie Gascón Sandra Brucet |
| |
Institution: | (1) Faculty of Science, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Spain |
| |
Abstract: | Temporary ponds are described as environments with a low predation pressure. Notostracans inhabit these types of ponds, and
some populations acquire a high proportion of larger individuals, whose feeding behaviour is mainly predatory. The predation
nature of Triops cancriformis is not widely accepted, because its diet is still partly controversial. We analysed the diet of one population of T. cancriformis in a Mediterranean temporary pond (Espolla pond, NE Iberian peninsula) to evaluate its predation behaviour. The gut content
of the individuals bigger than 10 mm is mainly composed of detritus, plant fibres and microcrustaceans (cladocerans, ostracods
and copepods). The prey number increases with the body size of individual T. cancriformis as previously described. Sex-biased predation was observed for one copepod prey, but not for the other. Predation pressure
in that community was monitored along six hydroperiods as the percentage of predator biomass (not only T. cancriformis) in relation to the non-predator biomass. The proportion of predator biomass is high, and this contrasts with the low predation
pressure expected for a temporary system with short hydroperiods. |
| |
Keywords: | Triops cancriformis diet Mediterranean temporary pond sex-biased predation hydroperiod length life-history strategy |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|