Control of feeding behaviour and selective cannibalism in the rotifer Asplanchna

SUMMARY. Feeding responses in campanulate females of Asplanchna sieboldi were induced with filtrates of homogenized saccate female clonemates, showing that such behaviour can be triggered entirely by chemical stimuli. The failure of campanulates to attack campanulate clonemates, however, probably cannot be explained by the tissue chemistry of these females – filtered and unfiltered homogenates of campanulates were as active as those of saccates—and appears to be a function of some property limited to the campanulate body surface. The roles of chemical and physical properties of food items in controlling feeding behaviour in Asplanchna and other rotifers are considered.