Competition Between Littoral Cladocerans Macrothrix triserialis and Alona rectangula (Cladocera) in Relation to Algal Food Level and Inoculation Density

We studied the relative competitive abilities of littoral cladocerans M.triserialis and A. rectangula using green algal food at two levels (0.5 · 10⁶ and 2 · 10⁶ cells mL^?1 of Chlorella) under five different inoculation ratios. Both the cladoceran species were influenced by food availability and mutual competitive pressure. Macrothrix could withstand competition better under conditions of lower food availability while Alona grew better, despite competition, when more Chlorella was available. Population growth rates (r) ranged from 0.022…0.070 for Alona and from 0.024…0.075 for Macrothrix. There was a significant impact of the inoculation ratio on the maximal population density reached by either test species. Food concentration had a significant influence on the peak population density reached only for Alona rectangula. Data on the body sizes of M. triserialis and A. rectangula showed that there was a higher somatic growth with increasing food availability and decreased competitive pressure in both the test species. In Macrothrix, food concentration and the competition from Alona through different initial inoculation densities had a significant impact on the body size. At the lower food concentration, the body size was significantly smaller when the inoculation density was lowest (highest competitive pressure). The body size of Alona, on the other hand, was not affected by the competition but was significantly higher under conditions of greater food availability. These results have been discussed in light of different theories of competition.