Genotype, Fish‐Mediated Chemical, and Phototactic Behavior in Daphnia Magna

Clones were isolated from natural populations with contrasting fish predation pressure and were tested for their phototactic behavior in the presence and absence of fish and/or fish—mediated chemicals. The presence of fish—mediated chemicals induced a more negatively phototactic behavior in all clones tested. This response was observed within 24 h after exposure to these chemicals. Release from the presence of the fish—mediated chemicals resulted for most clones in a gradual change back to control behavior, which took several days. There was no indication of a maternal effect. The response was not enhanced by a more direct exposure to the presence of fish, suggesting that the stimulus is a chemical. The results indicated genetic differences in responsiveness to fish—mediated chemicals in Daphnia. Clones isolated from habitats in which fish were present were on average more responsive than clones isolated from a fishless habitat. Significant genetic differences in phototactic behavior between the clones tested could be observed in the presence as well as in the absence of fish—mediated chemicals.

[1]  W. Gabriel,et al.  Vertical Migration of Zooplankton as an Evolutionarily Stable Strategy , 1988, The American Naturalist.

[2]  L. Meester,et al.  Phototaxis in Daphnia magna : the influence of temperature and acidity on the phototactic behaviour of Daphnia genotypes , 1990 .

[3]  Ian A. E. Bayly,et al.  Predator induction of crests in morphs of the Daphnia carinata King complex , 1981 .

[4]  C. E. King.  Adaptation of Rotifers to Seasonal Variation , 1972 .

[5]  C. M. Lessells,et al.  Unrepeatable repeatabilities: a common mistake , 1987 .

[6]  I. Vuorinen,et al.  Defensive spine formation in Daphnia pulex Leydig and induction by Chaoborus crystallinus De Geer , 1989 .

[7]  W. Lampert.  The adaptive significance of diel vertical migrations , 1989 .

[8]  R. Tollrian,et al.  The Ecology and Evolution of Inducible Defenses , 1990, The Quarterly Review of Biology.

[9]  J. Ringelberg.  Enhancement of the phototactic reaction in Daphnia hyalina by a chemical mediated by juvenile perch (Perca fluviatilis) , 1991 .

[10]  S. Dodson,et al.  THE EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF AN ANTIPREDATOR REACTION NORM: DAPHNIA PULEX AND CHAOBORUS AMERICANUS , 1991, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution.

[11]  A. Sih,et al.  Antipredator defenses and the persistence of amphibian larvae with fishes , 1988 .

[12]  J. S. Suffern,et al.  Vertical migration in zooplankton as a predator avoidance mechanism1 , 1976 .

[13]  S. Dodson.  The ecological role of chemical stimuli for the zooplankton: Predator‐avoidance behavior in Daphnia , 1988 .

[14]  G. Carvalho,et al.  The clonal ecology of Daphnia magna (Crustacea: Cladocera). I: Temporal changes in the clonal structure of a natural population , 1987 .

[15]  A. Sih.  Antipredator Responses and the Perception of Danger by Mosquito Larvae , 1986 .

[16]  W. E. Neill.  Induced vertical migration in copepods as a defence against invertebrate predation , 1990, Nature.

[17]  C. Lively.  Canalization Versus Developmental Conversion in a Spatially Variable Environment , 1986, The American Naturalist.

[18]  J. Ringelberg.  A mechanism of predator-mediated induction of diel vertical migration in Daphnia hyalina , 1991 .

[19]  L. Meester,et al.  Phototaxis in Daphnia: Interaction of hunger and genotype , 1989 .