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Essential fatty acid content and the phosphorus to carbon ratio in cultured algae as indicators of food quality for Daphnia.
- Source :
-
Freshwater Biology . Aug2002, Vol. 47 Issue 8, p1377-1390. 14p. - Publication Year :
- 2002
-
Abstract
- 1. A series of experiments examined growth of Daphnia magna on three algal diets ( Rhodomonas minuta , Scenedesmus acutus and Synechococcus sp.) at varying physiological states [nitrogen and phosphorus (P) limitations] to test whether variation in algal fatty acid and/or elemental composition can predict Daphnia growth. 2. These algae differed widely in their essential fatty acid (EFA) composition while phosphorus (P) or nitrogen limitation had only a small influence on their ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content. 3. Individually, algal ω3-PUFA content explained 69% of the variation in the normalised growth of D. magna, while algal phosphorus content explained 11% of the variation. Quantitative models for D. magna growth used both algal ω3-PUFA content and algal C : P ratio as food quality indices. Together, algal ω3-PUFA content and C : P ratio explained 70% of the variation in the normalised growth rate of D. magna . 4. Our results indicate that EFA influenced algal food quality much more strongly than P. The EFA and mineral P impacts appear to be independent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *ESSENTIAL fatty acids
*DAPHNIA
*PHOSPHORUS
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00465070
- Volume :
- 47
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Freshwater Biology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 7025297
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2427.2002.00870.x