Reproduction strategies of Daphnia pulicaria population in a high mountain lake of Southern Spain

• Published in: Hydrobiologia Vol. 594; no. 1; pp. 75 - 82
• Main Authors: Pérez-Martínez, C, Barea-Arco, J, Conde-Porcuna, J. M, Morales-Baquero, R
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.12.2007; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal reproduction; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Daphnia; Daphnia pulicaria; diapause; Egg production; Eggs; Fresh water ecosystems; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Hatching; High mountain lake; Lakes; Mountain lakes; Population density; Population studies; reproduction; Synecology; Europe; Spain; Hatching; Diapause; Cladocera; Daphnia, Diapause; Crustacea; Aquatic environment; Reproduction; Hydrobiology; Mountain; Arthropoda; Lakes; Strategy; High mountain lake, Reproduction; Invertebrata; Branchiopoda; Daphnia pulicaria
• ISSN: 0018-8158; 1573-5117
• DOI: 10.1007/s10750-007-9084-3

For three consecutive years, a population study of Daphnia pulicaria was undertaken in Río Seco Lake, a small high-mountain lake, in order to elucidate the reproductive strategies adopted by Daphnia in this system. Daphnia appears to colonize this lake every spring by hatching from ephippia and reproduce by means of subitaneous (non-diapausing) and ephippial (diapausing) eggs. D. pulicaria in this lake is an obligate parthenogenetic population. There is a short time period for subitaneous egg production and a much longer period for ephippial egg production. The contribution of subitaneous eggs to Daphnia population density and structure appears to be low. Diapause onset showed a high temporal synchronization in the three studied years in Río Seco Lake, and day-length emerged as the main cue triggering diapause onset and the main explanatory factor for the proportion of ephippial females observed. The development and reproduction of D. pulicaria in Río Seco Lake involves taking a gamble on resting forms to guarantee inter-annual Daphnia persistence in the lake, giving priority to investment in future generations.