Impact of deposit-feeding chironomid larvae (<i>Chironomus riparius</i>) on meiofauna and protozoans

Ptatscheck, Christoph; Putzki, Henrike; Traunspurger, Walter

doi:10.1086/694461

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…It is assumed to be ingested as animal remains together with detritus (Sadler 1935;Izvekova et al 1983). Small invertebrates (copepods, rotifers, chironomids, oligochaetes), however, especially when occurring in high numbers, can be actively preyed upon by Chironomus larvae (Loden 1974;Izvekova et al 1983;Ptatscheck et al 2017). In our research, this seems likely especially with regard to the filter-feeder C. balatonicus, the gut contents of which contained a higher frequency of planktonic rotifers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

Feeding by two closely related species of Chironomus (Diptera: Chironomidae) in south Baltic lagoons, with implications for competitive interactions and resource partitioning

2019

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Four major categories of food items were determined in the gut content of chironomid larvae collected in the Curonian and Vistula Lagoons in the spring-summer period of 2009-2011. These were detritus (range from 88 to 92% of the gut content, by volume), matter of plant (2-7%) and animal origin (0.2-0.5%), and mineral particles (3-7%). Plant matter comprised pine pollen, conidia of fungi, cyanobacteria, green algae and diatoms. Matter of animal origin consisted of remnants of oligochaetes and rotifers. Food content was more diverse in the larvae inhabiting the Curonian Lagoon. The size of mineral particles in gut contents was significantly higher in C. balatonicus, although the distance between the bases of the maxillas, as a predictor of the size of the particles being eaten, was larger in C. plumosus. The gut content analysis suggested lack of clear food selectivity which potentially may lead to interspecific competition for food. However, the strength of interaction can be substantially weakened by several factors: (1) exceptionally favourable food conditions for benthic chironomids in both highly eutrophic lagoons, (2) the ability to occupy areas differing in salinity, (3) different feeding behaviour and (4) the ability to swallow particles of different size spectra.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

Feeding by two closely related species of Chironomus (Diptera: Chironomidae) in south Baltic lagoons, with implications for competitive interactions and resource partitioning

2019

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“…Consequently, they impact the physical properties of sediments and drive biogeochemical processes in lake ecosystems (Ólafsson and Paterson 2004;Hölker et al 2015). The presence and feeding activities of chironomids also have impacts on the structures of meiofaunal and protozoan communities (Ptatscheck et al 2017;Webert et al 2017). Additionally, tube structures, by themselves, can exert considerable effects on the periphytic diatom flora living on river rocks (Pringle 1985;Hershey et al 1988;Herren et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A novel leaf-rolling chironomid, Eukiefferiella endobryonia sp. nov. (Diptera, Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae), highlights the diversity of underwater chironomid tube structures

Imada¹

2020

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The non-biting midges, Chironomidae (Diptera), are dominant components of most freshwater ecosystems. Many chironomids construct tubes or cases as larvae out of various materials bound together with silk. The structures of tubes show a wide range of variation, and some are morphologically comparable to those of caddisflies. Herein a new species is described, Eukiefferiella endobryoniasp. nov., which exhibits a very unusual behavior in which it constructs tubes from aquatic mosses. This species’ fourth-instar larvae construct their cases exclusively from the leaves of Fontinalis mosses (Hypnales: Fontinalaceae) and exhibit a stereotyped behavior in which they remain attached to the apical shoot of the moss stem. The larvae then pupate within the case. The case of E. endobryoniasp. nov. represents one of only a few examples of chironomid tubes made exclusively out of plants. Based on the species delimitation analyses using the partial COI sequences, together with some morphological and behavioral characteristics, this species is hypothesized to be a member of devonica group, and especially may have a close affinity to E. dittmari (Lehman). A provisional typology for the diversity of chironomid tube structures is provided, with a summary of different tube structures, which can be used for future research.

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“…For nematodes, oligochaetes, and microcrustaceans, these effects even were significant. Further investigations of a natural meiofaunal community revealed the effects of the feeding of Chironomus riparius (Ptatscheck et al, 2017). The total meiofaunal density was reduced to 56% by a single chironomid larvae after one day already.…”

Section: Predation Effects On Meiofaunal Composition and Population Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For macroinvertebrates that ingest their prey intact, engulfing large meiofauna may be challenging. For example, Chironomus riparius with body length of 11.4 mm significantly reduced only the medium-sized nematodes (0.125-1 mm) from natural sediments, while larger larvae (13.5 mm) were able to consume larger nematodes with body length of 1-2 mm (Ptatscheck et al, 2015(Ptatscheck et al, , 2017. In contrast, chironomids of the taxon Tanypodinae that crush their prey can consume much larger prey organisms like oligochaetes or other chironomids (Baker & McLachlan, 1979).…”

Section: Predation Effects On Meiofaunal Composition and Population Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many studies, only the influence of single individuals on the meiobenthic community was investigated, whereas the high densities of macroinvertebrates [e.g., 90,000 chironomid larvae per m 2 (Berg & Hellenthal, 1992)] in freshwater sediments suggest that the effects of predation in natural environments may be much higher (Ptatscheck et al, 2017).…”

Section: Predation Effects On Meiofaunal Composition and Population Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Are meiofauna a standard meal for macroinvertebrates and juvenile fish?

et al. 2020

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Due to the lack of empirical data, meiofauna are often underestimated as prey for freshwater animals and are commonly regarded as trophic dead ends. Here we present a synthesis of recent evidence showing that meiofauna are significant as prey, not only for many benthic macroinvertebrates (chironomids, shrimps, and flatworms) but also for juveniles of widespread freshwater bottom-feeding fish species (e.g., carps, gudgeons, catfish). In this review, we focus on the following questions: (1) Which groups consume meiofauna? (2) In what amounts are meiofauna ingested? (3) Does predatory feeding behavior influence natural meiofaunal communities? (4) Are meiofauna organisms actively ingested or are they bycatch? To answer these questions, we focused on studies that included gut/feces analyses of potential predators and empirical investigations conducted in the laboratory (e.g., functional response experiments and microcosm studies) and in the field (enclosure/ exclosure settings). We were able to demonstrate that meiofauna taxa are consumed in high numbers by a wide range of larger organisms. This predation can significantly shape meiofaunal communities, by reducing the abundance, biomass, and production of certain members of the investigated assemblages. However, in most cases, it remains unclear if there is an active predation of meiofauna or a passive ingestion by unselective feeding.

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Impact of deposit-feeding chironomid larvae (Chironomus riparius) on meiofauna and protozoans

Cited by 16 publications

References 41 publications

Feeding by two closely related species of Chironomus (Diptera: Chironomidae) in south Baltic lagoons, with implications for competitive interactions and resource partitioning

Feeding by two closely related species of Chironomus (Diptera: Chironomidae) in south Baltic lagoons, with implications for competitive interactions and resource partitioning

A novel leaf-rolling chironomid, Eukiefferiella endobryonia sp. nov. (Diptera, Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae), highlights the diversity of underwater chironomid tube structures

Are meiofauna a standard meal for macroinvertebrates and juvenile fish?

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