In:
Oecologia, Berlin : Springer, 1968, (2008), 0029-8549
In:
year:2008
In:
extent:9
Description / Table of Contents:
The feeding selectivity and the growth and reproductive success of the copepod Acartia tonsa have been studied in mesocosms fertilized at different Si:N ratios (0-1.75:1) and, therefore, at different compositions of the phytoplankton communities. Phytoplankton composition showed a strong response to nutrient ratios, with diatoms comprising 〉90% at Si:N ratios 〉1:1 of total biomass as opposed to 〈20% at the lowest ratio. A. tonsa strongly preferred feeding on motile prey (flagellates and ciliates) to feeding on diatoms. Nevertheless, diatoms comprised a substantial part of the diet at the highest Si:N ratios. A. tonsa egg production and the final (after 4 weeks) abundance of adults and copepodites showed no response to Si:N ratios while nauplii production slightly increased with Si:N ratios. It is concluded that the frequently reported deleterious effect of diatoms on copepod reproduction is rather unusual when copepods are confronted with a naturally diverse phytoplankton assemblage instead of clonal cultures in the laboratory.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
Pages:
9
,
graph. Darst
ISSN:
0029-8549
DOI:
10.1007/s00442-008-1193-9
Language:
English
