Size Relations of the Filtering Area of Two Daphnia Species

The area of the filtering setae of thoracic limbs 3 and 4 of two Daphnia species increases approximately as the square of the body length. In contrast, the rate of increase in the filtering rate relative to body length attains maximum exponential values of 2.5-3.0. The filtering area and the filtering rates of Daphnia rosea become increasingly greater than those of Daphnia magna as body length increases, but the difference in the calculated rate of flow of water through the filtering setae remains nearly constant at all body lengths.