Abstract
SUMMARY. (1) Swarming in the Cladocera has often been associated with periods of sexual reproduction and this has led to the suggestion that members of opposite sex are attracted to one another. The most plausible mechanism by which this could occur is through the production of pheromones. The present experiments aimed to determine if Daphnia magna Straus produce such chemicals.(2) No evidence was found for the presence of sexual pheromones. The behaviour of both males and females was unaffected by the presence of sexually receptive animals of the opposite sex.(3) It is suggested that the cited relationship between sexual reproduction and swarming may be due to the fact that sexual reproduction occurs during periods of high population density. It is during such periods that swarming behaviour would be most apparent.
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