Many aquatic organisms use chemical cues to recognize predators and to activate inducible defenses. In zooplankton, most of these cues are thought to be kairomones released by specific predators. However, in several other organisms, e.g., fish and amphibians, alarm signals from conspecifics also provide reliable cues. We tested whether alarm substances also act as chemical cues in Daphnia and assessed their relevance compared with predator kairomones. Water-borne cues from macerated conspecifics altered morphology in all Daphnia species tested (Daphnia cucullata, Daphnia longicephala, and Daphnia lumholtzi). However, kairomones released by feeding predators had distinctly stronger effects. In D. cucullata, we tested for the relevance of predator diet and found that the increase in relative helmet length was most pronounced when the predator was fed with conspecifics instead of heterospecifics. Cross-species experiments with alarm substances also revealed that D. cucullata is more sensitive to info-chemicals from macerated conspecifics than to chemical cues from D. magna. Unspecific alarm cues together with cues released by predators consuming prey may form a blend of chemicals that indicates predation risk and activates inducible defenses in nature.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.