Effects of Fish Predators on the Mass-Related Energetics of a Keystone Freshwater Crustacean
Little is known about how predators or their cues affect the acquisition and allocation of energy throughout the ontogeny of prey organisms. To address this question, we have been comparing the ontogenetic body-mass scaling of various traits related to energy intake and use between populations of a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/3/40 |
| _version_ | 1797758398049026048 |
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| author | Douglas S. Glazier Jonathan J. Borrelli Casandra L. Hoffman |
| author_facet | Douglas S. Glazier Jonathan J. Borrelli Casandra L. Hoffman |
| author_sort | Douglas S. Glazier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Little is known about how predators or their cues affect the acquisition and allocation of energy throughout the ontogeny of prey organisms. To address this question, we have been comparing the ontogenetic body-mass scaling of various traits related to energy intake and use between populations of a keystone amphipod crustacean inhabiting freshwater springs, with versus without fish predators. In this progress report, we analyze new and previously reported data to develop a synthetic picture of how the presence/absence of fish predators affects the scaling of food assimilation, fat content, metabolism, growth and reproduction in populations of <i>Gammarus minus</i> located in central Pennsylvania (USA). Our analysis reveals two major clusters of ‘symmorphic allometry’ (parallel scaling relationships) for traits related to somatic versus reproductive investment. In the presence of fish predators, the scaling exponents for somatic traits tend to decrease, whereas those for reproductive traits tend to increase. This divergence of scaling exponents reflects an intensified trade-off between somatic and reproductive investments resulting from low adult survival in the face of size-selective predation. Our results indicate the value of an integrated view of the ontogenetic size-specific energetics of organisms and its response to both top-down (predation) and bottom-up (resource supply) effects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T18:29:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d22c6892419d470c8577a3bfb197ad58 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T18:29:23Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d22c6892419d470c8577a3bfb197ad582023-08-02T08:23:19ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372020-02-01934010.3390/biology9030040biology9030040Effects of Fish Predators on the Mass-Related Energetics of a Keystone Freshwater CrustaceanDouglas S. Glazier0Jonathan J. Borrelli1Casandra L. Hoffman2Department of Biology, Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA 16652, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USADepartment of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VI 22908, USALittle is known about how predators or their cues affect the acquisition and allocation of energy throughout the ontogeny of prey organisms. To address this question, we have been comparing the ontogenetic body-mass scaling of various traits related to energy intake and use between populations of a keystone amphipod crustacean inhabiting freshwater springs, with versus without fish predators. In this progress report, we analyze new and previously reported data to develop a synthetic picture of how the presence/absence of fish predators affects the scaling of food assimilation, fat content, metabolism, growth and reproduction in populations of <i>Gammarus minus</i> located in central Pennsylvania (USA). Our analysis reveals two major clusters of ‘symmorphic allometry’ (parallel scaling relationships) for traits related to somatic versus reproductive investment. In the presence of fish predators, the scaling exponents for somatic traits tend to decrease, whereas those for reproductive traits tend to increase. This divergence of scaling exponents reflects an intensified trade-off between somatic and reproductive investments resulting from low adult survival in the face of size-selective predation. Our results indicate the value of an integrated view of the ontogenetic size-specific energetics of organisms and its response to both top-down (predation) and bottom-up (resource supply) effects.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/3/40body-mass scalingfat contentfish predationfood assimilationfreshwater springs<i>gammarus minus</i>growth ratemetabolic rateontogenyreproduction |
| spellingShingle | Douglas S. Glazier Jonathan J. Borrelli Casandra L. Hoffman Effects of Fish Predators on the Mass-Related Energetics of a Keystone Freshwater Crustacean Biology body-mass scaling fat content fish predation food assimilation freshwater springs <i>gammarus minus</i> growth rate metabolic rate ontogeny reproduction |
| title | Effects of Fish Predators on the Mass-Related Energetics of a Keystone Freshwater Crustacean |
| title_full | Effects of Fish Predators on the Mass-Related Energetics of a Keystone Freshwater Crustacean |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Fish Predators on the Mass-Related Energetics of a Keystone Freshwater Crustacean |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Fish Predators on the Mass-Related Energetics of a Keystone Freshwater Crustacean |
| title_short | Effects of Fish Predators on the Mass-Related Energetics of a Keystone Freshwater Crustacean |
| title_sort | effects of fish predators on the mass related energetics of a keystone freshwater crustacean |
| topic | body-mass scaling fat content fish predation food assimilation freshwater springs <i>gammarus minus</i> growth rate metabolic rate ontogeny reproduction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/3/40 |
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