Starvation tolerance, development time and egg production of Calanoides carinatus in the Southern Benguela Current

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The intermittent nature of phytoplankton blooms in the extreme south of the Benguela Current may be an important factor limiting the zooplankton population. Calanoides carinatus, a dominant zooplankton species, was studied in the laboratory to measure its tolerance to starvation, development time and rate of egg production. The species was found to have a large food reserve in the form of a lipid sac which gives it a high tolerance to starvation. Starvation tolerance depends on age, temperature and feeding during development but once mature, feeding does not increase the tolerance. Development time depends on temperature and feeding and is of the order of 25 days at average temperatures in the area (13–15°C). Egg production is rapid (−70 eggs per female per day) when food is abundant and ceases immediately food is removed. Overall the species shows considerable tolerance of a patchy food regime but nevertheless is probably controlled to some degree by the intermittent food supply, especially during the juvenile stages.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: