Feeding of the carnivorous copepod Euchaeta antarcrica in Antarctic waters

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Copepod Euchaeta antarctica stages V and V1 were caught during 24 h sampling programmes in h4arch 1989 at a coastal station in Gerlache S t r a~ t , Antarctic Peninsula, and in January 1990 at an oceanic s ta t~on in the north Weddell Sea. Gut content analyses showed that copepods made up 80 to 90 % of all food Items by number Metridia gerlachei, Calanoides acutus, Euchaeta spp , other large copepods, Oncaea spp , Olthona spp. and other small copepods were the main prey of E. antarctica (V, VI) Large copepods were probably more important as food (on a dry-weight b a s ~ s ) than small copepods. Mean number of prey per E. antarctica (V, VI) was 0.9 and 1.1 at the coastal and the oceanic station, respectively. Copepodids at stage V contamed more prey items (1 3) than adult females (0.5) at the coastal station In March A sample from South Georg~a showed that E antarctica feeds during winter E antarctica lnd~viduals were not eating continuously slnce, in all areas, over 30 O/O of them had empty guts. The parasitic dinoflagellate Blastodln~um sp. was found in the gut of 6 6 % of E. antarctica at the oceanic station. This infection d ~ d not affect the number of food items found in thelr guts.