First record of the temperate species Daphnia curvirostris Eylmann, 1887 emend. Johnson, 1952 (Cladocera: Daphniidae) in Mexico and its demographic characteristics in relation to algal food density

• Published in: Limnology 2009-08, Vol.10 (2), p.87-94
• Main Authors: Nandini, S, Silva-Briano, Marcelo, García, Gerardo García, Sarma, S. S. S, Adabache-Ortiz, Araceli, de la Rosa, Ricardo Galván
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic plants; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cladocera; Daphnia curvirostris; Daphniidae; Ecology; Environment; Females; Food; Freshwater; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Life Sciences; Neonates; Plankton; Research Paper; Scenedesmus acutus; Studies; Taxonomy; Wetlands
• ISSN: 1439-8621; 1439-863X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10201-009-0264-x

Daphnia curvirostris is a typical European species but has also been recorded in Canada and USA. This is a new record for Mexico and the taxon was collected from the Chimaliapan wetlands (State of Mexico, Mexico). Taxonomic descriptions of it are provided using both light and scanning-electron microscopes. When cultured on the green alga Scenedesmus acutus at three food levels (low, 0.5 x 10⁶; medium, 1.0 x 10⁶; high, 2.0 x 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹), D. curvirostris had an average lifespan that ranged from 13.5 to 17.6 days and a generation time of between 11.8 and 16.8 days. The gross reproduction rate was about ten neonates per female, regardless of the food concentration, while the net reproduction rate was about 4-5 neonates per female. Food level only had a significant impact on generation time. Results are discussed in light of the invasive nature of daphniids and their possible impact on locally occurring cladoceran species.