Feeding, growth, and food conversion of the marine planktonic copepod Calanus helgolandicus1

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Abstract
Food intake, growth rate, and food conversion of nauplii, copepodids, and adult females of Calanus helgolandicus were investigated experimentally at 15°C. The diatom Lauderia borealis and the dinoflagellates Gonyaulax polyedra, Gymnodinium splendens, and Prorocentrum micans were offered separately as food at concentrations ranging from 41 to 101 µg C liter−1. Amounts of food ingested differed with concentration and species. Daily exponential growth rates were highest for nauplii and young copepodids (k = 0.29 to 0.41) and decreased gradually with increasing age of the copepods to k = 0.02. Gross growth efficiency changed during the different juvenile life periods of the copepod with maximum values for the period CI to CIII. Feeding on L. borealis at lower food concentrations resulted in an increase in gross growth efficiency.

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