Xu, Y.; Ge, L.-L.; Cheng, X.-F.; Xiang, X.-L.; Wen, X.-L.; Wang, Y.-J.; Fu, H.; Ge, Y.-L.; Xi, Y.-L. Temporal Distribution Patterns of Cryptic Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera) Species in Relation to Biogeographical Gradient Associated with Latitude. Animals2024, 14, 244.
Xu, Y.; Ge, L.-L.; Cheng, X.-F.; Xiang, X.-L.; Wen, X.-L.; Wang, Y.-J.; Fu, H.; Ge, Y.-L.; Xi, Y.-L. Temporal Distribution Patterns of Cryptic Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera) Species in Relation to Biogeographical Gradient Associated with Latitude. Animals 2024, 14, 244.
Xu, Y.; Ge, L.-L.; Cheng, X.-F.; Xiang, X.-L.; Wen, X.-L.; Wang, Y.-J.; Fu, H.; Ge, Y.-L.; Xi, Y.-L. Temporal Distribution Patterns of Cryptic Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera) Species in Relation to Biogeographical Gradient Associated with Latitude. Animals2024, 14, 244.
Xu, Y.; Ge, L.-L.; Cheng, X.-F.; Xiang, X.-L.; Wen, X.-L.; Wang, Y.-J.; Fu, H.; Ge, Y.-L.; Xi, Y.-L. Temporal Distribution Patterns of Cryptic Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera) Species in Relation to Biogeographical Gradient Associated with Latitude. Animals 2024, 14, 244.
Abstract
Sympatric distribution and temporal overlap of cryptic zooplankton species pose a challenge to the framework of the niche differentiation theory and the mechanisms allowing competitor coexistence. We applied the methods of phylogenetic analysis, DNA taxonomy and statistical analysis to study the temporal distribution patterns of cryptic B. calyciflorus species, an excellent model, in three lakes, and to explore the putative mechanisms for their seasonal succession and temporal overlap. The results showed that in the warm-temperate Lake Yunlong, B. fernandoi and B. calyciflorus s.s. underwent a seasonal succession, which was largely attributed to their differential adaptation to water temperature. In the subtropical Lake Jinghu, B. fernandoi, B. calyciflorus s.s. and B. dorcas exhibited both seasonal succession and temporal overlap. Seasonal successions were largely attributed to their differential adaptation to temperature, and temporal overlap resulted from their differential responses to algal food concentration. In the tropical Lake Jinniu, B. calyciflorus s.s. persisted throughout the year, and overlapped with B. dorcas for 5 months. Temporal overlap resulted from their differential responses to copepod predation. These results indicated that the temporal distribution pattern of cryptic B. calyciforus species and the mechanism allowing competitor coexistence vary with different climate zones.
Keywords
cryptic species; seasonal succession; temporal overlap; environmental variables; climatic zone
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
