Abstract
Rotifers were collected fortnightly between February 2009 and January 2010 at two sampling sites in subtropical, eutrophic lake Tingtang, China. The spatio-temporal variations in the morphological characteristics of Keratella cochlearis were documented, and the relationships between each of the morphometric parameters and ecological factors were evaluated. Unspined K. cochlearis occurred more frequently than spined one in the slightly eutrophic lake. The period during which unspined and spined K. cochlearis were present differed at both sampling sites. In those months when K. cochlearis appeared at both sampling sites, the differences in morphometric parameters between the two sampling sites differed with the sampling time and the rotifer morphotype. Density of cladocerans was the primary factor influencing the body length of spined K. cochlearis. Water temperature was responsible to influence the antero-median and antero-lateral spine lengths and the posterior spine length of spined K. cochlearis and all the morphometric parameters of unspined K. cochlearis.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for much help in improving this manuscript. This research was funded by Natural Science Foundation of China (31400352, 30870369), Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province of China (1408085MC66), Key Foundation for Excellent Youth in Higher Education of Anhui Province of China (2013SQRL013ZD), Foundation of the Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotic Environment and Ecological Safety in Anhui, Foundation of the Provincial Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Important Biological Resources in Anhui, and Starting Foundation of Anhui Normal University for Doctors. All experiments reported here comply with current laws in China.
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Ge, Y., Xi, Y., Ma, J. et al. Factors Influencing Morphological Characteristics of Keratella cochlearis in Lake Tingtang. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 88, 421–428 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-016-0768-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-016-0768-1