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Offspring size in Daphnia: does it pay to be overweight?

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Abstract

Variation in offspring size and number has beendescribed for a wide range of organisms. In this studyI investigated the relationship between resource levelof the mother and size of her offspring in thecladoceran Daphnia magna, in order to assess whetheroffspring produced at different food levels areoptimal in size for these food levels. Optimaloffspring size was defined as the size of offspringthat yields the highest parental fitness (i.e.offspring of optimal size have the highest juvenilefitness per unit maternal effort invested in them). Iobserved that especially at the higher food levels,daphnids produced offspring that are larger than thecomputed optimal offspring size at these food levels.I interpret this as a mechanism to avoid starvation ofneonates in the case of suddenly deteriorating foodconditions.

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  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Limnologie, Postfach 165, D-24302, Plön, Germany

    Maarten Boersma

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  1. Maarten Boersma
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Boersma, M. Offspring size in Daphnia: does it pay to be overweight?. Hydrobiologia 360, 79–88 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003184214186

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