Readme file for the dataset from Benesh et al. The relationship between larval size and fitness in the tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus: bigger is better? Oikos. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19925.x

Each row in the data package (Benesh_etal_proc_fitness_dryad.csv) represents a fish exposed to an infected copepod harboring a single tapeworm larva. Explanations of the information provided by the columns are listed below.

"Experiment" lists the three experiments reported in the paper (1=exposures involving large copepods, 2=exposures with small copepods, 3 exposures with a mix of copepod stages)

"Replicate exposure" is a blocking factor encoding the different replicate exposures done at different times within each experiment.

"Fish_fam" codes which full sib fish family a fish came from. This data was not collected for experiment 2.

"Par_pop", parasites were sourced from either Lake Skogseidvatnet, Norway (60º13’N 5º53’E) (NO) or the Neustädter Binnenwasser, Germany (54º6’N 10º47’E) (NST)

"Fish_pop", fish were either from Norway (NO) or the Grosser Plöner See, Germany (54º9’N 10º25’E) (GPS).

"Fish_ini_length" is the total length of the fish in mm at the time of exposure.

"Fish_ini_mass" is the weight of the fish in mg at the time of exposure.

"Cop_length" is the length of copepods in mm.

"Proc_area" is the area of procercoids in um2.

"Cop_wedekind" is the mass of copepods using the transformations proposed by Wedekind et al. 2000. Aquat. Ecol. 34: 279-285.

"Proc_wedekind" is the mass of procercoids using the transformations proposed by Wedekind et al. 2000. Aquat. Ecol. 34: 279-285.

"Surv" codes whether a fish died before (=1) or survived until (=0) dissections. Infection status could be reliably determined in dead fish, but worm weights were considered unreliable, so these were excluded in the analyses of plercercoid weight.

"Sex" and "Sex_dummy" code the gender of the fish.

"Inf" codes whether fish were infected (1) or uninfected (0).

"Pler_weight" is the weight of plerocercoids dissected from fish in mg. 



Any questions should be addressed to Dan Benesh (benesh@evolbio.mpg.de)