Feeding and respiration rates of a planktonic copepod (Calanus sinicus) oversummering in Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Waters

Abstract

The distribution, feeding and oxygen consumption of Calanus sinicus were studied in August 2001 on a transect across Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Waters (YSCBW) and two additional transects nearby. The distribution of C. sinicus adults and copepodites stage CV appeared to be well correlated with water temperature. They tended to concentrate in the YSCBW (>10,000 ind. m(-2)) to avoid high surface temperature. Gut pigment contents varied from 0.44 to 2.53 ng chlorophyll a equivalents (chl a equiv.) ind.(-1) for adults, and from 0.24 to 2.24 ng chl a equiv. ind.(-1) for CV copepodites. We found no relationship between gut pigment contents and the ambient chl a concentrations. Although the gut evacuation rate constants are consistent with those measured for other copepods, their low gut pigment contents meant an estimated daily herbivorous ingestion of <3% of body carbon in the YSCBW and <10% outside the YSCBW. However, based on estimates of clearance rates, C. sinicus feeds actively whether in the YSCBW or not, so the low ingestion rates probably reflect shortage of food. Oxygen consumption rates of C. sinicus ranged from 0.21 to 0.84 mul O-2 ind.(-1) h(-1), with high rates often associated with high temperature. From the oxygen consumption rates, daily loss of body carbon was estimated to be 4.0-13.7%, which exceeds our estimates of their carbon ingestion rates. C. sinicus was probably not in diapause, either within or outside the YSCBW, but this cold-water layer provides C. sinicus with a refuge to live through the hot, low-food summer.