Premium
Local adaptation of Daphnia pulicaria to toxic cyanobacteria
Author(s) -
Sarnelle Orlando,
Wilson Alan E.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.2005.50.5.1565
Subject(s) - cyanobacteria , daphnia , biology , nutrient , microcystis aeruginosa , microcystis , phosphorus , bloom , botany , microcystin , cladocera , eutrophication , ecology , zooplankton , bacteria , chemistry , genetics , organic chemistry
We quantified within‐species variation in the tolerance of the large, lake‐dwelling daphnid, Daphnia pulicaria , to toxic cyanobacteria in the diet. Juvenile growth rates on diets consisting of 100% Ankistrodesmus falcatus (a nutritious green alga) or 100% Microcystis aeruginosa (toxic) were compared for D. pulicaria clones isolated from lakes expected to have low and high levels of bloom‐forming cyanobacteria during summer. Growth rates of clones isolated from high‐nutrient lakes (range of total phosphorus, 31‐235 °g L −1 ) were higher, and showed less relative inhibition, on the cyanobacterial diet compared to clones isolated from low‐nutrient lakes (range of total phosphorus, 9‐13 °g L 1 ). Our results suggest that D. pulicaria populations exposed to high cyanobacterial levels over long periods of time can adapt to being more tolerant of toxic cyanobacteria in the diet.