Daphnia magna trade-off safety from UV radiation for food

Research on diel vertical migration (DVM) is generally conducted at the population level, whereas few studies have focused on how individual animals behaviorally respond to threats when also having access to foraging opportunities. We utilized a 3D tracking platform to record the swimming behavior of Daphnia magna exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in the presence or absence of a food patch. We analyzed the vertical position of individuals before and during UVR exposure and found that the presence of food reduced the average swimming depth during both sections of the trial. Since UVR is a strong driver of zooplankton behavior, our results highlight that biotic factors, such as food patches, have profound effects on both the amplitude and the frequency of avoidance behavior. In a broader context, the trade-off between threats and food adds to our understanding of the strength and variance of behavioral responses to threats, including DVM.