Feeding of nauplii, copepodites and adults of Calanipeda aquaedulcis (Calanoida) in Mediterranean salt marshes

Marine Ecology Progress Series

Jordi Compte Dani Boix Rociacuteo Loacutepez-Flores Xavier D. Quintana¹  Sandra Brucet¹ 

关键词: Feeding;    Developmental stages;    Ingestion;    Omnivory;    Selectivity;    Zooplankton;   

DOI  :  10.3354/meps07225

学科分类：海洋学与技术

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: Feeding of the different developmental stages of Calanipeda aquaedulcis on natural particles (bacterio-, phyto- and microzooplankton) was measured in a Mediterranean salt marsh (Empordà wetlands, NE Iberian Peninsula). Bottle incubations were performed in the field both in autumn and spring. The results showed differences in the diet of the different developmental stages due to both prey type and size. In general, the size of the ingested prey increased with increasing size of the C. aquaedulcis stage. While C. aquaedulcis adults had high ingestion rates and selection coefficients for large prey (micro- and nanoplankton), nauplii preferentially consumed smaller prey items (picoplankton). Copepodites showed the widest prey size range, including pico-, nano- and microplankton. Nevertheless, the lower size limit for particle capture was similar for all stages, i.e. between 1.7 and 2.1 µm. Omnivory was observed in all stages of C. aquaedulcis. Heterotrophic prey (picoplankton, dinoflagellates and ciliates) were the most ingested items. The ability to partition the available food among the different developmental stages could represent an advantage in times of food scarcity because it may reduce intraspecific competition. This may explain how C. aquaedulcis is able to predominate in the zooplankton community for several weeks during spring and summer even in situations of low food availability.

【 授权许可】

Unknown