Arctic zooplankton prefer living ice algae: a caution for zooplankton excretion measurements
Regardless of how they were killed, dead ice algae were less desirable as food to several arctic copepods ( Pseudocalanus sp., Calanus glaciahs, Metridia longa ) than living ice algae. For Pseudocalanus , the only species tested, the presence of dead ice algae also depressed respiration and ammonia-...
| Published in: | Journal of Plankton Research |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
1988
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://plankt.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/10/2/267 https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/10.2.267 |
| Summary: | Regardless of how they were killed, dead ice algae were less desirable as food to several arctic copepods ( Pseudocalanus sp., Calanus glaciahs, Metridia longa ) than living ice algae. For Pseudocalanus , the only species tested, the presence of dead ice algae also depressed respiration and ammonia-excretion rates. In the short run, food quality (i.e. whether living or dead) had a greater effect on copepod metabolism than food quantity. Pre-conditioning for 48 h, and conditions in the natural environment to which the animals had become acclimated, also had a marked effect on their metabolic performance, but did not mask the effect of morbidity in the food supply. We conclude that dead algae should not be used as a substitute ration for living food in certain types of metabolic experiments without prior comparison of suitability. |
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