Digestion of copepod eggs by larval turbot Scophthalmus maximus and egg viability following gut passage

Between 20.5 and 93.6 % of the subitaneous eggs of 6 species of egg-carrying copepods passed undigested through the digestive tracts of larval and early postlarval turbot Scophthalmus maximus. Viability of the eggs of Eurytemora affinis, E. velox and Euterpina acutifrons remained high on egestion (6...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine Ecology Progress Series
Main Authors: Conway, DVP, McFadzen, IRB, Tranter, PRG
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 1994
Subjects:
Online Access:http://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/1879/
http://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/1879/1/m106p303.pdf
http://www.int-res.com/journals/meps
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps106303
Description
Summary:Between 20.5 and 93.6 % of the subitaneous eggs of 6 species of egg-carrying copepods passed undigested through the digestive tracts of larval and early postlarval turbot Scophthalmus maximus. Viability of the eggs of Eurytemora affinis, E. velox and Euterpina acutifrons remained high on egestion (67.0 to 91.7 %), Pseudocalanus elongatus and Oncaea venusta eggs had low viability (1.1 to 1.5 %), while all Corycaeus anglicus eggs were rendered inviable. The indigestibility of the eggs denies the turbot larvae a potentially valuable food resource, while retention of high egg viability in certain species reduces the effect of predation.