Vertical migration in zooplankton as a predator avoidance mechanism1

Abstract

Field data and laboratory feeding experiments support the hypothesis that predation can be an important factor in the adaptive significance of vertical migration among zooplankton. In both Gatun Lake in Panama and Fuller Pond in Connecticut the diel vertical migration patterns of prey populations assume distributions which result in lessened predation by the dominant lake planktivores. It is concluded that such patterns of vertical migration will result when prey populations are under intense, selective pressures from visually dependent predators.