Mechanisms of food selection in Daphnia

Abstract

A conceptual behavioural and mechanistic Holling-type model of food selection in Daphnia pulicaria is derived from SEM observations with animals feeding on mixtures of spherical-cylindrical diatoms, oblongate green algae, and filamentous cyanobacteria, as well as ultrafine particles. The algae used were Stephanodiscus hantzschii (<- 6 µm length), Monoraphidium setiforme (≥ 20 µm), and Oscillatoria aghardii (strands, >- 80 µm). Cell (strand) selection can occur at any or all of three stages: (i) interception from the feeding currents, (ii) collection and channeling to the food groove, and (iii) compaction and transport to the mouth. During each stage, given equal initial cell densities, elongate cells are more likely to escape collection than spherical cells and are more likely to be rejected. In addition, filaments require increased handling time at stages (ii) and (iii) and promote entanglement with limb 5 and the postabdominal claw. Food is collected primarily with the aid of limbs 3 (and 4), but limbs 1 and 2 also intervene. Neither the leaky sieve hypothesis alone nor any other single-process hypothesis explains the observations on examined in corpore positions, morphology, and derived movements of the feeding limbs. Attachment and mucus appear to be important for the ingestion of bacteria and ultrafine particles.

The model is consistent with many experimental results of differential feeding by Daphnia pulicaria on mixtures of variously shaped algae and other observations on Daphnia feeding behaviour. The paradigm of invariate, nonselective feeding by Daphnia is rejected.