Ecological genetics of a cyclical parthenogen in temporary habitats

Populations of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis inhabiting three temporary ponds in Torreblanca Marsh (Castellon, Spain) were regularly screened for allozyme variation, sexual reproduction levels and population densities during an annual cycle. Relevant ecological parameters in the ponds were also recorded. The electrophoretic survey of the three ponds (Poza Sur, Poza Norte and Canal Central) revealed a high level of overall genetic polymorphism in four marker loci, but only 13 multilocus genotypes were found. We classified clones into three clonal groups (SS, SM, L) characterized by unique arrays of alleles in the four marker loci, and significant differences in body shape and size. Clona…