Inducible defences in Daphnia: responses to two closely related predator species

The predator-induced responses of two species of Australian Daphnia, with contrasting distributions and life history patterns, to the kairomones of two species of Anisops predators, were measured. Daphnia longicephala produced a large crest and attained a larger size when exposed to both predators. D. carinata sl matured earlier than D. longicephala and did not produce a crest. Surprisingly, kairomones of both predators inhibited the production of ephippia in D. carinata sl. Anisops stali, the larger of the two predator species, induced a significantly larger crest size in D. longicephala, and larger brood size in both species compared with the smaller A. gratus, indicating a quantitative but not qualitative effect of predator species on inducible defences.