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Studies of the effect of environmental factors on the rotifer predator–prey system in freshwater

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Abstract

The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of environmental factors: temperature and photoperiod on the zooplankton predator–prey system. Rotifers, an important and cosmopolitan group of zooplankton in freshwater, were used in our study. We investigated the effect of temperature (20, 23, and 30°C) and of photoperiod (L:D = 12:0 and 0:12) on the predatory rotifer Asplanchna brightwelli consuming rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus as prey. Under A. brightwelli predation, populations of B. calyciflorus prey were consumed more slowly at 20 ± 1 and 30 ± 1°C as compared to 23 ± 1°C. Prey consumption by A. brightwelli increased from 0.63 ± 0.09 ind. predator−1 at 20°C to a peak of 1.22 ± 0.12 ind. predator−1 at 23°C, then decreased significantly to 0.93 ± 0.14 ind. predator−1 at 30 ± 1°C. In addition, predation responded to temperature changing sensitively and rapidly. Statistical analysis showed that the prey consumption were significant different under altered temperature periods during 12 h. Photoperiod also significantly influenced the rate of A. brighwelli predation. B. calyciflorus suffered less predation in darkness than in light. The rate of prey consumption in light (1.06 ind. predator−1) was twice the average of that in darkness (0.51 ind. predator−1). Furthermore, predation rate varied under changing photoperiod but predators moved back into the light did not resume their original consumption rate. Our results demonstrate that whether the predation in rotifer successfully or not is strongly influenced by temperature and photoperiod.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (30371093 and 30570260) and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (BK2007225).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 210046, Nanjing, China

    Ruixin Guo & Jiaxin Yang

  2. School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332, USA

    Terry W. Snell

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  1. Ruixin Guo
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Correspondence to Jiaxin Yang.

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Guo, R., Snell, T.W. & Yang, J. Studies of the effect of environmental factors on the rotifer predator–prey system in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 655, 49–60 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0403-8

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