Effect of the filter feeder Daphnia on the particle size distribution of inorganic colloids in freshwaters

To quantify the effect of the filter feeder Daphnia on the aggregation of mineral particles, temporal changes in the particle size distribution of inorganic colloids were experimentally determined both in the presence and in the absence of Daphnia in water samples of Lake Brienz, Switzerland, an oligotrophic lake rich in suspended inorganic colloids. The results obtained show that daphnids favour the aggregation of mineral colloids, but only for particle sizes above the Daphnia filter mesh size. However, the number concentration of particles smaller than the Daphnia filter mesh size simultaneously increases in the presence of the filter feeder, suggesting either the break-down of existing aggregates or the aggregation of particles with initial sizes below the measured size range. The density of daphnids in this lake is currently too low to have any significant effect on the fate of inorganic colloidal particles as compared with aggregation due to physical processes of particle collision. However, in more productive water bodies where Daphnia is more abundant, they may play a significant role.