Feeding of Clausocalanids (Calanoida, Copepoda) on naturally occurring particles in the northern Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea)
Cornils, A.; Schnack-Schiel, S.B.; Boer, M.; Graeve, M.; Struck, U.; Al-Najjar, T.; Richter, C. (2007). Feeding of Clausocalanids (Calanoida, Copepoda) on naturally occurring particles in the northern Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). Mar. Biol. (Berl.) 151(4): 1261-1274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-006-0569-9
In: Marine Biology: International Journal on Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters. Springer: Heidelberg; Berlin. ISSN 0025-3162; e-ISSN 1432-1793, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Cornils, A.
- Schnack-Schiel, S.B.
- Boer, M.
- Graeve, M.
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- Struck, U.
- Al-Najjar, T.
- Richter, C.
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| Abstract |
A total of 12 feeding experiments were conducted in the northern Gulf of Aqaba during spring (March/April) and autumn (September/October) 2002 at the Marine Science Station (MSS) in Aqaba. Females of three species of clausocalanids were selected: Clausocalanus farrani, C. furcatus and Ctenocalanus vanus. Natural occurring particle (NOP) larger than 5 µm were investigated as food source. The ambient chlorophyll a concentration at sampling depth (~70 m) ranged between 0.15 and 1.00 µg chl a l-1 and NOP concentrations ranged between 1.78 and 14.0 × 103 cells l-1 during the sampling periods. The division of particles into five size classes (5–10, 10–20, 20–50, 50–100 and >100 µm) revealed that most of the particles were found in the size classes below 50 µm (81–98%), while most of the natural occurring carbon (NOC) was concentrated in the size classes larger than 20 µm (70–95%). Ingestion rates were food density dependent rather than size dependent ranging between 0.02 and 1.65 × 103 NOP ind-1 day-1 and 0.01 and 0.41 µg NOC ind-1 day-1, respectively, equivalent to a body carbon (BC) uptake between 0.4 and 51.8% BC day-1. The share of the size classes to the total ingestion resembled in most cases the size class composition of the natural particle community. |
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