Ingestion, faecal pellet and egg production rates of Calanus helgolandicus feeding coccolithophorid versus non-coccolithophorid diets.

Abstract

Ingestion rates, faecal pellet and egg production were obtained in laboratory experiments with females of the copepod Calanus helgolandicus collected from the English Channel in November 1994. Five different algal monocultures were used as food: Prorocentrum micans (30 µm ESD), Thalassiosira weissflogii (13 µm ESD), Dunaliella tertiolecta (7 µm ESD), Emiliania huxleyi (5 µm ESD) and Coccolithus pelagicus (14 µm ESD). Results obtained suggest the low ingestion efficiency of the copepod when feeding on coccolithophorids during late autumn-early winter. From the five species offered, only the largest non coccolithophorid Prorocentrum micans and Thalassiosira weissflogii supported efficient feeding and calculated respiratory demand for C. helgolandicus. Both coccolithophorids, irrespective of cell size, were ingested at very low rates even when offered at high concentrations (233-468 µg C l(-1)). Besides low ingestion, no egg production was found in the copepods fed with Emiliania huxleyi, although unusual high gross efficiency (reaching 72%) was obtained in experiments performed with Coccolithus pelagicus. The late seasonal timing of the experiments (November) could explain the low ingestion and egg production rates.