“Crown of thorns” of Daphnia

Abstract

DNA barcoding has emerged as valuable tool to document global biodiversity. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequences serve as genetic markers to catalogue species richness in the animal kingdom and to identify cryptic and polymorphic animal species. Furthermore, DNA barcoding data serve as a fuel for ecological studies, as they provide the opportunity to unravel species interactions among hosts and parasites, predators and prey, and among competitors in unprecedented detail. In a recent paper we described how DNA barcoding in combination with morphological and ecological data unravelled a striking predator-prey interaction of organisms from temporary aquatic habitats, the predatory notostracan Triops and its prey, cladocerans of the Daphnia atkinsoni complex.