Population growth of the cladoceran, Daphnia magna: A quantitative analysis of the effects of different algal food

Jong Yun Choi, Seong Ki Kim, Kwang Hyeon Chang, Myoung Chul Kim, Geung Hwan La, Gea Jae Joo, Kwang Seuk Jeong

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20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this study, we examined the effects of two phytoplankton species, Chlorella vulgaris and Stephanodiscus hantzschii, on growth of the zooplankton Daphnia magna. Our experimental approach utilized stable isotopes to determine the contribution of food algae to offspring characteristics and to the size of adult D. magna individuals. When equal amounts of food algae were provided (in terms of carbon content), the size of individuals, adult zooplankton, and their offspring increased significantly following the provision of S. hantzschii, but not after the provision of C. vulgaris or of a combination of the two species. Offspring size was unaffected when C. vulgaris or a mixture of the two algal species was delivered, whereas providing only S. hantzschii increased the production of larger-sized offspring. Stable isotope analysis revealed significant assimilation of diatom-derived materials that was important for the growth of D. magna populations. Our results confirm the applicability of stable isotope approaches for clarifying the contribution of different food algae and elucidate the importance of food quality for growth of D. magna individuals and populations. Furthermore, we expect that stable isotope analysis will help to further precisely examine the contribution of prey to predators or grazers in controlled experiments.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere95591
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume9
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Apr 2014

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Dr. Myoung-Chul Kim one of the authors of the manuscript is an employee of Chemtopia Co. Ltd. and has acknowledged that Chemtopia Co. Ltd. has no ownership or rights to the data for the aforementioned paper. His company provided no inputs or support for the research or paper writing. In the process of writing the manuscript, he received no financial support for the research or grants from the company Chemtopia Co. Ltd. Thus due to the above information, this does not alter the authors' adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

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