Brachionus calyciflorus

Brachionus calyciflorus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Rotifera
Class: Monogononta
Order: Ploimida
Family: Brachionidae
Genus: Brachionus
Species: B. calyciflorus
Binomial name
Brachionus calyciflorus

Brachionu calyciflorus is a planktonic rotifer species occurring in freshwater. It is commonly used as a model organism in toxicology, ecology and evolutionary biology.
Its advantages include the small size and short generation time (average generation time of B. calyciflorus is around 2.2 days at 24°C).

Reproduction

B. calyciflorus normally reproduces by cyclical parthenogenesis. [1]
Transitions to obligate parthenogenesis have been described. Obligate parthenogens were homozygous for a recessive allele, which caused inability to respond to the chemical signals that normally induce sexual reproduction in this species. [2]

Species complex
Like the Brachionus plicatilis cryptic species complex Brachionus calyciflorus seems also to be a species complex consisting of more than one species.[3][4]

References

  1. http://rotifera.lifedesks.org/pages/324[]
  2. C.-P. Stelzer, J. Schmidt, A. Wiedlroither, and S. Riss (2010). Loss of Sexual Reproduction and Dwarfing in a Small Metazoan. PLoS ONE 5(9): e12854.
  3. Brachionus calyciflorus is a species complex: mating behavior and genetic differentiation among four geographically isolated strains JJ Gilbert, EJ Walsh - Rotifera X, 2005 - Springer
  4. Spatial patterns of genetic differentiation in Brachionus calyciflorus species complex collected from East China in summer XL Xiang, YL Xi, XL Wen, JY Zhang, Q Ma - Hydrobiologia, 2010 - Springer
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