How water fleas detect predators
Tuesday, November 27, 2018 - 07:30
in Biology & Nature
Water fleas of the genus daphnia detect via chemical substances if their predators, namely Chaoborus larvae, are hunting in their vicinity. If so, they generate defences that make them more difficult to consume. The signalling molecules that enable detection have been identified by biologists and chemists from Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the University of Duisburg-Essen and the University of Birmingham. It is a cocktail of substances that occurs during digestive processes of Chaoborus larvae. The researchers discuss their findings in the journal Nature Chemical Biology published on 14 November 2018.