Effects of temperature, salinity and food level on the life history traits of the marine rotifer Synchaera cecilia valentina, n. subsp.

A strain of the marine rotifer Synchaeta cecilia valentina, n. subsp., isolated from the Hondo of Elche Spanish Mediterranean coastal lagoon at 22%o salinity, was cultured in the laboratory in 20 ml test tubes and fed with the alga Tetraselmis suecica. The effect of two temperatures (20 and 24°C), four salinities (20,25,30 and 37%o) and two food levels (15 000 and 25 000 cells ml-1) on the life history traits of this rotifer were studied in life tables performed with replicated individual cultures. Temper- ature and salinity had a significant negative effect (P < 0.001) on the average lifespan (LS) and on the number of offspring per female (RQ). The effect of food level on LS is unclear, wh…