Induction of colony formation in planktonic algae by substances released from grazer zooplankton

  • Published : 2001.11.01

Abstract

Grager-Induced colony formation was examined using strains of green alga Scenedemus dimorphus (Turpin) Kutzing. Alga was cultured in a medium with or without filtered water in which Daphnia magna or Moina macrocopa had been reared. Colony formation was obviously promoted in S. dimorphus by exposure to zooplankton filtered water (ZFW), showing in proportion to the volume of zooplankton filtered water in cultured media. The particle volume as well as the number of cells per one colony of S. dimorphus increased between 24 and 48 hours after exposure to ZFW, which were caused by an infochemical released from from Daphnia or Moina probably as a part of defense mechanism against zooplankton grazing.

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