Ref ID : 2950
John J. Gilbert and Jonathan K. Waage; Asplanchna, Asplanchna-substance, and Posterolateral spine length variation of the Rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus in a Natural Environment. Ecology 48(6):1027-1031, 1967
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Notes
A field investigation during the summer of 1965 in Millstone Pond, New Jersey showed that posterolateral spine lengths of the pala and dorcas varieties of Brachionus calyciflorus were unrelated to water temperature and varied directly both with the density of Asplanchna brightwelli and with the presence of threshold quantities of Asplanchna-substance as determined by laboratory assay. These relationships suggest that the production of Asplanchna-substance in this pond during this period was an important factor in controlling the posterolateral spine lengths of the B. calyciflorus and, therefore, that the effect of Asplanchna on B. calyciflorus observed in the laboratory also occurs in the natural environment. Although this investigation suffers because of some difficulties in the interpretation of data and the rather short period of time during which data were collected, a meaningful correlation between a pattern of posterolateral spine length variation and an environmental variable has been reported.