Temperature and predator cues interactively affect ontogenetic metabolic scaling of aquatic amphipods

A common belief is that body-mass scaling of metabolic rate results chiefly from intrinsic body-design constraints. However, several studies have shown that multiple ecological factors affect metabolic scaling.  The mechanistic basis of these effects is largely unknown. Here, we explore whether abiotic and biotic environmental factors have interactive effects on metabolic scaling. To address this question, we studied the simultaneous effects of temperature and predator cues on the ontogenetic metabolic scaling of amphipod crustaceans inhabiting two different aquatic ecosystems, a freshwater spring and a saltwater lagoon. We assessed effects of phenotypic plasticity on metabolic scaling by exposing amphipods in the laboratory to water with and without fish-cues at multiple temperatures. Temperature interacts significantly with predator cues to affect metabolic scaling. Our results suggest that metabolic scaling is highly malleable in response to short-term acclimation. The interactive ef...

学界普遍认为，代谢率的体重缩放主要由内在躯体设计约束主导。然而多项研究表明，多种生态因子会对代谢缩放产生影响。此类影响的机制基础在很大程度上仍未明确。本研究旨在探究非生物与生物环境因子是否会对代谢缩放产生交互作用。为解答这一问题，我们以栖息于淡水泉与咸水泻湖两种不同水生生态系统的端足类甲壳动物为研究对象，考察了温度与捕食者线索对其个体发育代谢缩放的联合影响。我们通过在实验室中将端足类动物暴露于设置多梯度温度、分别含与不含鱼类捕食线索的水体中，评估了表型可塑性对代谢缩放的影响。结果显示，温度与捕食者线索存在显著交互作用，共同影响代谢缩放。本研究结果表明，代谢缩放对短期驯化响应具有高度可塑特性。其交互效应