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Selective feeding and its effect on polymorphism and sexuality in the rotifer Asplanchna sieboldi
Author(s) -
GILBERT JOHN J.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
freshwater biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2427
pISSN - 0046-5070
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1978.tb01424.x
Subject(s) - brachionus calyciflorus , rotifer , biology , parthenogenesis , population , zoology , sexual reproduction , ecology , predation , organism , genetics , embryo , demography , sociology
SUMMARY. Campanulate females of A. sieboldi (clone 12C1) attack Asplanchna brightwelli and A. girodi much more readily than either the alga Volvox aureus or the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus . Pre‐feeding campanulates on B. calyciflorus prior to testing does not appreciably affect their response to this prey. Discrimination during feeding occurs immediately after the campanulate's corona contacts a potential food organism and is probably mediated by chemoreceptors. Once a food organism is attacked, the probabilities of it being captured and subsequently swallowed are high and similar for each of the four organisms tested. Since food organisms other than Asplanchna . such as V. aureus and B. calyciflorus , induce campanulates in this clone to produce cruciform, and thus frequently sexual, females in succeeding generations, a tendency of these campanulates to select congeneric prey would favour the maintenance of the campanulate morphotype and thus the continuation of parthenogenetic reproduction in the ensuing population.