Effects of vertebrate and invertebrate predators on the life history of Daphnia similis and Moina macrocopa (Crustacea: Cladocera)
Although most studies use the genus Daphnia to evaluate phenotypic plasticity in cladocerans, other genera might also respond to predator infochemicals. In this study fish infochemicals increased the size at primipara, clutch size, net reproductive rate and longevity in Daphnia and Moina. Conversely, Chaoborus infochemicals affected only the net reproductive rates and longevity of cladocerans. Non-daphniid cladocerans may display similar responses to Daphnia when exposed to predators. However, as Daphnia is usually underrepresented in tropical lakes, studying other genera might offer new insights into predator-prey relationships and food webs in lake ecosystems.