Abstract
Both field observations and enclosure experiments show that juvenile copepods enter Daphnia brood cavities to feed on Daphnia eggs and embryos. The ability to perform such in vivo exploitation is reported for both cyclopoid and calanoid copepods. Copepodites of Acanthocyclops robustus (G.O. Sars) were found to eat eggs in brood cavities of D. magna, D. pulex and D. pulicaria in experimental enclosures rich in algae. Copepodites of Eudiaptomus gracilus (G.O. Sars) were found in brood cavities of D. hyalina in a mesotrophic lake. The copepods' intrusions into brood cavities caused dramatic declines in the clutch size of infested Daphnia, and this predation effect could easily be confused with the effect of severe food limitation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brandl Z, Fernando CH (1979) The impact of predation by the copepod Mesocyclops edax (Forbes) on zooplankton in three lakes in Ontario, Canada. Can J Zool 57: 940–942
DeMott WR (1989) The role of competition in zooplankton succession. In: Sommer U (ed) Plankton ecology: succession in planktonic communities. Springer Berlin, pp 195–252
Dodson S (1974) Zooplankton competition and predation: an experimental test of size-efficiency hypothesis. Ecology 55: 605–613
Gliwicz ZM (1981) Food and predation in limiting clutch size in cladocerans. Verh Int Verein Limnol 21: 1562–1566
Gliwicz ZM (1985) Predation or food limitation: an ultimate reason for extinction of planktonic cladoceran species. Arch Hydrobiol, Beih Ergebn Limnol 21: 419–430
Gliwicz ZM (1993) Relative significance of direct and indirect effects of predation by planktivorous fish on zooplankton. Hydrobiologia (in press)
Gliwicz ZM, Lampert W (1993) Body size related survival of cladocerans in a trophic gradient: an enclosure study. Arch Hydrobiol 127 (in press)
Green J (1974) Parasites and epibionts of Cladocera. Trans Zool Soc London 32: 417–515
Hrbacek J (1993) Anaerobic conditions in winter shape the seasonal succesion of crustaceoplankton in pools in forested inundations. Verh Internat Verein Limnol 25 (in press)
Kiefer F, Fryer G (eds) (1978) Das Zooplankton der Binnengewässer. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart
Krambeck HJ, Lampert W, Brede H (1981) Messung geringer Mengen von particulärem Kohlenstoff in natürlichen Gewässern. GIT Fachz Lab 25: 1009–1012
Lampert W (ed) (1985) Food limitation and the structure of zooplankton communities. Arch Hydrobiol, Beihefte Ergebnisse der Limnologie 21: 1–497
Lampert W (1988) The relative importance of food limitation and predation in the seasonal cycle of two Daphnia species. Verh Internat Verein Limnol 23: 713–718
Lampert W (1991) The dynamics of Daphnia magna in a shallow lake. Verh Internat Verein Limnol 24: 795–798
Lampert W, Schober U (1978) Climatic conditions and planktonic interactions as factors controlling the regular succession of spring algal bloom and extremely clear water in Lake Constance. Verh Internat Verein Limnol 20: 969–974
Machacek J (1991) Indirect effect of planktivorous fish on the growth and reproduction of Daphnia galeata. Hydrobiologia 225: 193–197
Santer B (1993) Do cyclopoid copepods control Daphnia populations in early spring, thereby protecting their juvenile instar stages from food limitation? Verh Internat Verein Limnol 25 (in press)
Sih A, Crowley P, McPeek M, Petranka J, Strohmeier K (1985) Predation, competition and prey communities: a review of field experiments. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 16: 261–319
Sommer U (ed) (1989) Plankton ecology. Succession in plankton communities. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Stibor H (1991) Grossenvariabilitat von Daphnia bei der ersten Reproduktion. Diplom-thesis, Universitat Kiel
Stibor H (1992) Predator-induced life-history shifts in a freshwater cladoceran. Oecologia 92: 162–165
Threlkeld ST (1979) Estimating cladoceran birth rates: the importance of egg mortality and the egg age distribution. Limnol Oceanogr 24: 601–612
Zaret T (1980) Predation and freshwater communities, Yale University Press, New Haven London
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gliwicz, Z.M., Stibor, H. Egg predation by copepods in Daphnia brood cavities. Oecologia 95, 295–298 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00323503
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00323503