Temperature and the effects of elemental food quality on Daphnia

Abstract

Summary 1. We examined the responses of two species of Daphnia to changes in food phosphorus (P) content, with animals reared at three different water temperatures. Specifically, we measured mass-specific growth rate (MSGR), body P content and respiration rate of Daphnia magna and Daphnia pulex acclimatised to 10, 17.5 and 25 °C and fed food carbon : phosphorus (C : P) ratios of either 150 or 500. 2. The responses of these three physiological variables to temperature–food quality interactions were species-specific. There was a significant interactive effect of temperature and food quality on D. magna, as the greatest proportional effect of food quality on growth was observed at 10 °C and reductions in body P because of low food P content were relatively greater at 25 °C. These effects may reflect the temperature dependence of mechanisms that reduce elemental constraints associated with food quality in D. magna. By contrast, there were no interactive effects between food quality and temperature on MSGR, body P or mass-specific respiration of D. pulex. 3. It thus appears that temperature can alter food quality effects on Daphnia but the nature of these alterations depends upon the daphniid species and its thermal adaptability. Significant temperature–food quality interactions will complicate efforts to understand zooplankton nutrition in nature and warrant future consideration.