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- Title
Fungi in the diet of Gammarus pseudolimnaeus (Amphipoda).
- Authors
Bärlocher, Felix; Kendrick, Bryce
- Abstract
Autumn-shed leaves which support a rich fungal population are an important source of food for many stream invertebrates. Two experiments were conducted to elucidate the relative importance of fungi and leaf substance in the nourishment of Gammarus pseudolimnaeus Bousfield. Mycelium of Tricladium angulatum Ingold proved to be a much better source of food for adult Gammarus than maple leaves with rich microbial growth. The weight increases of young Gammarus were compared when they could feed exclusively either on maple or elm leaves or on mycelium of one of ten fungi isolated from leaves in streams. The daily consumption of dry substance was about ten times higher in leaf diets than in fungal diets, but the largest weight increases were found in animals feeding on four of the fungi. Two of the fungi were clearly unsuitable as the sole source of food. Elm and maple leaves and the other four fungi fell between these extremes.
- Subjects
FUNGI; PARASITIC plants; GAMMARUS pseudolimnaeus; GAMMARUS; GAMMARIDAE; AMPHIPODA; CRUSTACEA
- Publication
Oikos, 1973, Vol 24, Issue 2, p295
- ISSN
0030-1299
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/3543888