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<p>Invertebrate predation strongly influences zooplankton morphology and community dynamics, shaping the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems. We tested the hypothesis that two coexisting <i>Bosmina</i> species—<i>Bosmina coregoni</i> and <i>Bosmina longirostris</i>—exhibit species-specific and predator-dependent morphological plasticity when exposed to chemical cues from the invertebrate predators <i>Bythotrephes longimanus</i> and <i>Leptodora kindtii</i> in Lake Constance. Using a common garden experiment, we assessed how these cues influence ontogenetic growth patterns and the development of defensive traits such as mucro and antennule sizes. The two species differed markedly in their allometric growth: <i>B. coregoni</i> showed proportional increases in both mucro and antennule size with body growth, whereas <i>B. longirostris</i> exhibited atypical growth pattern. Exposure to predator kairomones induced mucro elongation in both species, while antennule responses varied with predator type and species identity. Eye size was unaffected by both predators but was larger in <i>B. longirostris</i> than in <i>B. coregoni,</i> scaling consistently with body size across both species. Furthermore, in terms of mucro and antennule sizes, isolates of <i>Bosmina</i> species varied substantially. These findings demonstrate that inherent growth patterns and predator-specific cues shape the expression of defensive morphology in <i>Bosmina</i>, highlighting how species-specific ontogeny may constrain or modulate the evolution of inducible defenses in zooplankton.</p>

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Allometric growth patterns and phenotypic plasticity in two Bosmina species exposed to invertebrate predator kairomones

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月19日

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  • Marjohn Yucada Baludo,
  • Dietmar Straile

摘要

Invertebrate predation strongly influences zooplankton morphology and community dynamics, shaping the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems. We tested the hypothesis that two coexisting Bosmina species—Bosmina coregoni and Bosmina longirostris—exhibit species-specific and predator-dependent morphological plasticity when exposed to chemical cues from the invertebrate predators Bythotrephes longimanus and Leptodora kindtii in Lake Constance. Using a common garden experiment, we assessed how these cues influence ontogenetic growth patterns and the development of defensive traits such as mucro and antennule sizes. The two species differed markedly in their allometric growth: B. coregoni showed proportional increases in both mucro and antennule size with body growth, whereas B. longirostris exhibited atypical growth pattern. Exposure to predator kairomones induced mucro elongation in both species, while antennule responses varied with predator type and species identity. Eye size was unaffected by both predators but was larger in B. longirostris than in B. coregoni, scaling consistently with body size across both species. Furthermore, in terms of mucro and antennule sizes, isolates of Bosmina species varied substantially. These findings demonstrate that inherent growth patterns and predator-specific cues shape the expression of defensive morphology in Bosmina, highlighting how species-specific ontogeny may constrain or modulate the evolution of inducible defenses in zooplankton.