Fungi in the diet of three benthic invertebrate species

Abstract

The role of fungi grown on alder leaves in the diet of Proascllus coxatis Dollf. (Crust., Isop.), Echinogammarus veneris Heller (Crust., Amph.) and Caenis macrura Steph. (Insecta, Ephem.) was determined. Leaf discs inoculated with single fungus strains were offered as the sole food to the animals. The ten fungus strains and the three animal species were collected from plant detritus in a stream flowing into Lake Bracciano (Rome). It was observed that: 1) the various fungi on alder leaves constitute a heterogeneous set of food sources for all animal species examined; 2) individual fungi vary in their suitability as food sources of the three animal, species.We hypothesize that this differential suitability of the fungi facilitates the coexistence of the three benthic species on an apparently homogeneous detritus substrate and relaxes interspecific competitive interactions. © 1982 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.