Abstract
Chemical communication may inform about the location of prey, predators, co-specifics, and mate partners in zooplankton. In this study, we evaluated several life-history traits of the rotifer, Brachionus calyciflorus, exposed to conditioned media by a rotifer predator (Asplanchna brightwelli) and a cladocera competitor (Daphnia similis), quantifying population growth and life-table demography at two algal food levels (2.0 and 0.5 × 106 cells ml−1 of Chlorella pyrenoidosa). At both food levels, B. calyciflorus grown in predator-conditioned media had lower population abundance and slower population growth rate than controls. Conversely, the competitor-conditioned media treatments produced both higher rotifer population abundance and faster population growth rate than controls. Life-history parameters varied significantly depending on the presence of predator and competitor-conditioned media. The Asplanchna-conditioned media significantly decreased gross reproductive rate (GRR): 8–9 offsprings per female; net reproductive rate (R 0): 6–7 offsprings per female; population growth rate (r): 0.34–0.37 day−1; and increased generation time (T): 5.5–5.6 days. On the other hand, The Daphnia-conditioned media significantly increased the GRR (13–14 offsprings per female); net reproductive rate (8–9 offsprings per female); population growth rate (0.42–0.43 day−1); and decreased generation time (4.9–5.0 days). However, the effects of food level on the life-history characteristic were not significant in both treatments. Maximum values of the population abundance and the population growth rate are significantly influenced by the predator densities and pre-culture time. This study suggests that rotifers use variable life-history strategies (low reproduction and high survivorship versus high reproduction and low survivorship) based on the presence of predators and competitors.
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Acknowledgments
We wish to thank Professor Xiaofeng Xu for his valuable suggestion on the manuscript, Dr. Hong Li for the help with software, and Dr. Feizhou Chen for providing the material, D. similis. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30371093, 30570260), and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (BK2007225).
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Guo, R., Snell, T.W. & Yang, J. Ecological strategy of rotifer (Brachionus calyciflorus) exposed to predator- and competitor-conditioned media. Hydrobiologia 658, 163–171 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0459-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0459-5