Effectiveness of the caudal spine as a defense mechanism in Keratella cochlearis |
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Authors: | Conde-Porcuna José M. Morales-Baquero R. Cruz-Pizarro L. |
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Affiliation: | (1) Departamento de Biología Animal y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 8071 Granada, Spain;(2) Instituto del Agua, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain |
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Abstract: | The temporal distribution of spined and unspined forms of Keratella cochlearis in Cubillas reservoir during an annual cycle, and the stomach contents of Asplanchna girodi, were studied. The results suggest that the length of the caudal spine plays a critical role in the defense against predation by Asplanchna girodi. Short-spined forms showed a higher susceptibility to predation than unspined forms, which may have important consequencies for spine length variation in Keratella cochlearis populations. |
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Keywords: | predation defense mechanism Rotifera zooplankton |
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