Abstract
The effect of concentration of the microalgae, haptophyte Isochrysis galbana and dinophyte Prorocentrum cordatum, on the daily grazing rate (G) and daily egg production rate (EPR) of the brackish-water copepods Arctodiaptomus salinus and Calanipeda aquaedulcis was studied under experimental conditions. Daily grazing rates of copepods increased logarithmically with increasing microalgae concentration. The maximum grazing rates in both species were observed when feeding on I. galbana at a concentration of 170–196 µg C/mL. The maximum daily EPR in females of C. aquaedulcis (129% of body weight in carbon equivalent) were obtained when they fed on I. galbana at a concentration of 15.4 µg C/mL, or on P. cordatum at 4 µg C/mL. The maximum EPR values in A. salinus females were 34% of their weight in carbon equivalent when feeding on P. cordatum at a concentration of 26 µg C/mL, and 45% in their carbon equivalent at 8.9 µg C/mL of I. galbana. The further increase in the microalgae concentration led to the decrease in EPR values. The efficiency of ingested food utilization for egg production in carbon equivalent (gross growth efficiency, GGE, %) of C. aquaedulcis was significantly higher than that of A. salinus, regardless of the species and concentration of microalgae.
Published Version
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