Abstract
The influence of the predatory ostracod Australocypris insularis on zooplankton abundances and species composition in an Australian saline lake was monitored over 8 months in aquaria and tank microcosms. Control, Predator (double A. insularis Control densities) and No Predator (all A. insularis removed) treatments were set up in small 11.5l aquaria and large 883.5l tanks. Microcosm salinities were manipulated to accord with seasonal lake salinities and ranged from 35 to 110 gl-1. Densities of the calanoid copepods Calamoecia clitetellata and C. salina, the small ostracods Diacypris compacta and D. dietzi, and juvenile ostracods (excluding A. insularis) were significantly reduced by A. insularis predation in the aquaria experiments. Daphniopsis sp. was only present (in low numbers) in the No Predator aquaria. Results from the large tank experiments were not as clear-cut, due to difficulties in the manipulation of predator numbers. Differing salinity tolerances of predator and prey may confound the predation impact of A. insularis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
APHA, 1976. Standard Methods for the Examination of Waste and Wastewater. 14th edn. American Public Health Association, Washinton, D.C.
Barnes, R. D., 1987. Invertebrate Zoology. 5th edn. Saunders College Publishing, USA.
Bayly, I. A. E., 1972. Salinity tolerance and osmotic behaviour of animals in athalassic saline and marine hypersaline waters. Annu. Rev. Syst. 3: 233–267.
Bayly, I. A. E & W. D. Williams, 1966. Chemical and biological studies on some saline lakes of south-east Australia. Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 17: 177–228.
Brock, M. A, 1982. Biology of the salinity tolerant genus Ruppia L. in saline lakes in South Australia II. Population ecology and reproductive biology. Aquat. Bot. 13: 249–268.
Campbell, C. E., 1993. Planktivory by planktonic ostracods in Australian saline lakes. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 25: 887–889.
Confer, J. L. & G. Applegat, 1979. Size-selective predation by zooplankton. Am. Midl. Nat. 102: 378–383.
Cooper, S. D., D. W. Winkler & P. H. Lenz, 1984. The effect of grebe predation on a brine shrimp population. J. anim. Ecol. 53: 51–64.
Coulburn, E. A., 1988. Factors influencing species diversity in saline waters of Death Valley, USA. Hydrobiologia 158: 215–226.
Dalton-Morgan, J., 1992. Species diversity and diversity indices: a study based on the salt lakes of the Coorong Region, South Australia. B. Sc. Thesis, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia, 64 pp.
De Deckker, P., 1981. Taxonomic notes on some Australian ostracods with description of new species. Zool. Scripta 10: 37–55.
De Deckker, P., 1983. Notes on the ecology and distribution of non-marine ostracods in Australia. Hydrobiologia 106: 223–234.
De Deckker, P. & M. C. Geddes, 1980. Seasonal fauna of ephemeral saline lakes near the Coorong Lagoon, South Australia. Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 31: 677–699.
Deschiens, R., L. Lamy & N. Lamy, 1953. Sur un ostracode prédateur de bulins et de planorbes. Bull. Soc. Pathologie Exotique 46: 956–958.
Elser, M. M., C. N. Von Ende, P. Sorrano & S. R. carpenter, 1987. Chaoborus populations: response to food web manipulations and potential effects on zooplankton communities. Can. J. Zool. 65: 2846–2852.
Galat, D. L. & R. Robinson, 1983. Predicted effects of increasing salinity on the crustacean zooplankton community of Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Hydrobiologia 105: 115–131.
Hammer, U. T., 1986. Saline lake ecosystems of the world. Monographiae Biologicae 59, Dr W. Junk, Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 616 pp.
Hammer, U. T. & S. H. Hurlbert, 1992. Is the absence of Artemia determined by the presence of predators or by lower salinity in some saline waters? In R. D. Robarts & M. L. Bothwell (eds), Aquatic Ecosystems in Semi-arid Regions: Implications for Resource Management. N.H.R.I. Symp. Ser. 7, Environment Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada: 91–102.
Herbst, D. B., 1988. Comparative population ecology of Ephydra hians Say (Diptera: Ephydridae) at Mono Lake (California) and Abert Lake (Oregon). Hydrobiologia 158: 145–166.
Herzig, A & B. Auer, 1990. The feeding behaviour of Leptodora kindtii and its impact on the zooplankton community of Neusiedler See (Austria). Hydrobiologia 198: 107–117.
Hurlbert, S. H., W. Loayza & T. Moreno, 1986. Fish-flamingo plankton interactions in the Peruvian Andes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 31: 457–468.
Lynch, M., 1979. Predation, competition, and zooplankton community structure: an experimental study. Limnol. Oceanogr. 24: 253–272.
Martens, K., 1983. Aspects of the biology of Mytilocypris henricae (Chapman) (Crustacea, Ostracoda) with particular emphasis on salinity tolerance, life history and postembryonic growth. M.Sc. thesis, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
McKenzie, K. G., 1981. Palaeobiogeography of some salt lake fauna. Hydrobiologia 82: 407–418.
Murtaugh, P. A., 1981. Selective predation by Neomysis mercedis in Lake Washinton. Limnol. Oceanogr. 26: 445–453.
Norusis, M. J., 1988. SPSSxintroductory statistics guide for release 3. SPSS Inc. Chicago, USA.
Potvin, C., M. L. Lechowicz & S. Tardiff, 1990. The statistical analysis of ecophysiological response curves obtained from experiments involving repeated measures. Ecology 71: 1389–1400.
Reynolds, J. D., 1975. Feeding of corixids (Heteroptera) in small alkaline lakes of central B.C. Ver. Limnol. 19: 3073–3078.
Schwartz, S. S., 1992. Benthic predators and zooplanktonic prey: predation by Crangonyx shoemakeri (Crustacea; Amphipoda) on Daphnia obtusa (Crustacea; Cladocera). Hydrobiologia 237: 25–30.
Snedecor, G. W. & W. G. Cochran, 1980. Statistical methods. 7th edn. The Iowa State University press, Ames, Iowa, USA, 507 pp.
Vanni. M. J., 1988. Freshwater zooplankton community structure: introduction of large invertebrate predators and large herbivores to a small-species community. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 45: 1758–1770.
Williams, W. D., 1986. Conductivity and salinity of Australian salt lakes. Aust. J. Freshwat. mar. Res. 37: 117–182.
Williams, W. D., 1991. Saline lake microcosms (microecosystems) as a method of investigating ecosystem attributes. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 24: 1134–1138.
Williams, W. D. & M. J. Kokkinn, 1988. Wetlands and aquatic saline environments. AWRC Research Project 84/160, Completion Report. Department of Resources and Energy, Canberra, Australia, 90 pp.
Winer, B. J., 1977. Statistical principles in experimental design, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, New York, USA.
Wurtsbaugh, W. A. & T. S. Berry, 1990. Cascading effects of decreased salinity on the plankton, chemistry and physics of the Great Salt Lake (Utah). Ca. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 47: 100–109.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Campbell, C.E. The influence of a predatory ostracod, Australocypris insularis, on zooplankton abundace and species composition in a saline lake. Hydrobiologia 302, 229–239 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00032112
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00032112