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Coupling of anti-predator defences in Daphnia: the importance of light

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Abstract

Here we test for the possible coupling of two kairomone-induced, anti-fish defences in Daphnia, life-history changes (LHC) and diel vertical migration (DVM) mediated by the environmental factor light. A gradient of five different light intensities that represents naturally occurring intensities in the lake water column was used in life-history experiments, and we show that LHC of a single Daphnia clone are inversely coupled to the ambient light intensity. Furthermore, we could show that the light intensity has to exceed a threshold to induce the LHC. We also observed an effect of the light intensity on the fish kairomone-mediated expression of a candidate gene (actin 3) in a way that the gene response differs between groups of low and high light intensities. We argue that the ambient light intensity an individual is exposed to and that is dependent on the position in the water column of a lake inversely determines the degree of LHC. These findings suggest a plastic coupling of these two anti-fish defences in Daphnia (LHC and DVM), which allows for an adjustment to fluctuating environments of standing freshwater ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

We thank P. Fink, M. Christjani, J. Mölzner and T. Sadler for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript and Jacqueline Lange for her help with the experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aquatic Chemical Ecology, Zoological Institute, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany

    Christoph Effertz & Eric von Elert

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  1. Christoph Effertz
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  2. Eric von Elert
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Correspondence to Christoph Effertz.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Guest editors: Adam Petrusek & Piet Spaak / Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Cladocera

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Effertz, C., von Elert, E. Coupling of anti-predator defences in Daphnia: the importance of light. Hydrobiologia 798, 5–13 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2387-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2387-x

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