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The components of feeding behavior in rotifers

  • Conference paper
Rotifer Symposium IV

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 42))

Abstract

Feeding behavior of a rotifer can be broken into two classes of activities: the rate of successful search and the handling process. The former consists of the following components: Perceptual field (in planktonic rotifers the area of the corona), swimming rate, and attack rate. The second class consists of capture rate, handling time, rejection rate, ingestion, digestion, and assimilation. All evidence indicates that the perceptual field cannot be varied by the rotifer. Swimming rate is variable and under rotifer control, but does not appear to vary with degree of starvation. Attack rate is also under control of the rotifer, at least in the genus Asplanchna. Capture rates vary with the species of food item from zero to 100%. Handling times are longer than one would expect, as are rejection times. Digestion and assimilation appear to vary inversely with rate of ingestion. There is some suggestion in the literature that feeding on very small particles differs from that on larger ones.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    George W. Salt

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  1. George W. Salt
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, Scotland

    L. May

  2. Limnologisches Institut, Gaisberg 116, A-5310, Mondsee, Austria

    A. Herzig

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© 1987 Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht - Printed in the Netherlands

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Salt, G.W. (1987). The components of feeding behavior in rotifers. In: May, L., Wallace, R., Herzig, A. (eds) Rotifer Symposium IV. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 42. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4059-8_37

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4059-8_37

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8302-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-4059-8

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