Ref ID : 1633
John J. Gilbert; Selective feeding and its effect on polymorphism and sexuality in the rotifer Asplanchna sieboldi. Freshwater Biology 8:43-50, 1978
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Campanulate females of A. sieboldi (clone 12C1) attack Asplanchna brightwelli and A. girodi much more readily than either the alga Volvox aureus or the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Pre-feeding campanulates on B. calyciflorus prior to testing does not appreciably affect their response to this prey. Discrimination during feeding occurs immediately after the campanulate's corona contacts a potential food organisms and is probably mediated by chemoreceptors. Once a food organism is attacked, the probabilities of it being captured and subsequently swallowed are high and similar for each of the four organisms tested. Since food organisms other than Asplanchna, such as V. aureus and B. calyciflorus, induce campanulates in this clone to produce cruciform, and thus frequently sexual, females in succeeding generations, a tendency of these campanulates to select congeneric prey would favour the maintenance of the campanulate morphotype and thus the continuation of parthenogenetic reproduction in the ensuring population.