Issue |
Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.
Volume 54, 2018
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 13 | |
Number of page(s) | 9 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/limn/2018005 | |
Published online | 05 April 2018 |
Research Article
Asplanchna-kairomone induces life history shifts in Brachionus angularis (Rotifera)
Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Important Biological Resource in Anhui, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University,
Wuhu
241000,
Anhui Province, PR China
* Corresponding author: ylxi1965@126.com
Received:
28
October
2017
Accepted:
29
January
2018
Predator-derived kairomones play an important role in ecological and evolutionary processes that enable the prey to survive predation pressure. In the presence of predatory Asplanchna, some Brachionus and Keratella species develop morphological and behavioral defenses, but whether rapid population growth and diapause are inducible defenses largely remains unknown. In the present study, parental B. angularis females cultured at 1.0 × 106 and 2.0 × 106 cells · mL−1 of Scenedesmus obliquus were indirectly exposed to 0, 40, 80 and 160 ind. L−1 of A. brightwelli using mesh enclosure, and their life-table demographic parameters, population growth rates and morphological characters were calculated and measured. The results showed that Asplanchna-released kairomone decreased significantly average lifespan, life expectancy at hatching, generation time and net reproduction rate, but increased the proportion of sexual offspring of parental B. angularis females. The threshold Asplanchna density required for significant effects varied with food level. Kairomone released by Asplanchna at 80 ind. L−1 increased significantly the intrinsic rate of population increase of B. angularis cultured at 2.0 × 106 cells · mL−1 of S. obliquus, which would offset the mortality of exposed females from predation. The accumulation of kairomone in aquatic environments enhanced the indirect effect of Asplanchna on the population growth of B. angularis. The present results indicated that rapid population growth of B. angularis induced by Asplanchna kairomone might facilitate the coexistence of preys with predators, and higher proportion of sexual offspring and then resting egg production might help the preys avoid the predator in time instead of facing the enemy through defenses.
Key words: rotifer / predation / life table demography / population growth rate / sexual reproduction / morphometrics
© EDP Sciences, 2018
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