Antipredator reaction norms for life history traits in Daphnia pulex: dependence on temperature and food

Abstract

Synergistic effects between temperature and food level on the vulnerability of Daphnia life histories to predation have previously received little attention, despite their potential significance for summer population dynamics. In this investigation, most traits in the early life history of Daphnia pulex altered in response to increasing concentrations of fish kairomone. Although there was some variation attributable to experimental temperature and food treatments, traits exhibited reaction norms which suggested at least some degree of kairomone dose‐dependence. Temperature, food level and their interaction affected the mean values of every trait examined and in some cases also influenced the antipredator response via a three‐way interaction with fish kairomone. The insertion of an extra juvenile instar resulted in later maturation at a larger size for most females raised under conditions of low temperature and low food, but this response was largely suppressed in the presence of fish kairomone. Earlier maturation due to deletion of an instar was observed most frequently under high food and temperature conditions with fish kairomone present, suggesting an effect of kairomone on the size threshold for reproductive development. Principal components analysis was used to produce an index reflecting the net potential vulnerability to fish predation of the suite of life history traits. Vulnerability generally declined with increasing kairomone level as a result of the apparently adaptive alterations in most life history traits. Raised temperature and food level also generally reduced potential vulnerability, but a highly significant interaction between these factors was also found. Potentially important implications of these results for optimal vertical migration and summer population dynamics are discussed.