Meyer, H.A. & S.S. Bell. (1989). Response of harpacticoid copepods to detrital accumulation on seagrass blades: a field experiment with Metis holothuriae (Edwards). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 132(2):141-149.
Response of harpacticoid copepods to detrital accumulation on seagrass blades: a field experiment with Metis holothuriae (Edwards).
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
132(2):141-149.
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A field experiment was performed in Tampa Bay, Florida, to determine whether varying levels of detritus affects abundance of the harpacticoid copepod Metti holothuriae (Edwards). Three levels of seagrass detritus obtained from Thalassia testudinum Banks ex Koenig were ahixed to Petri dishes containing a mucus-like medium. 14 dishes of each treatment were placed at random in a 7’haZassiabed and recovered after 24 h and 4 days. Numbers of copepods recovered from the experimental treatments varied among detritus levels; lowest numbers were found in dishes without detritus and the greatest numbers in the high-detritus dishes. ANOVA indicated that detritus level had a highly significant effect on the abundance ofMel& while day of recovery and the level x day interaction were not significant. Behavioral observations in the laboratory indicated that Metis spent significantly more time feeding while on detritus-laden blades than on detritus-free blades. Conversely, copepods spent more time swimming when presented with detritus-tree blades than when detritus was present.
