Maternal effects after sexual reproduction in Daphnia magna.

In this study we investigated the relationship between maternal size and size of ephippial hatchlings in Daphnia magna. We observed that larger females produce larger ephippia; these larger ephippia have a higher hatching probability, yield larger neonates, which in turn yield larger adults, producing more eggs. We interpret these observations as an explanation why older and larger females of D.magna continue to produce ephippia despite a higher predation risk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]