JPR Advance Access originally published online on April 11, 2006
Journal of Plankton Research 2006 28(7):719-723; doi:10.1093/plankt/fbl002
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SHORT COMMUNICATION |
Feeding efficiency of the larval ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz (Ctenophora, Lobata)
Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, USA
* Corresponding author: waggett{at}gso.uri.edu
Received December 12, 2005; accepted in principle February 21, 2006; accepted for publication April 4, 2006; published online April 11, 2006
Communicating editor: K.J. Flynn
Larval stages of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi rely on metazoan prey, such as Acartia tonsa nauplii and copepodites, to support high growth rates. However, M. leidyi larvae <0.5 mm (total length) had low retention efficiencies (REs) (proportion of encountered prey actually ingested), 5.78 ± 2.6% (mean ± SE), of nauplii and were often damaged by their encounters. REs of nauplii rapidly increased, 38.94 ± 3.73%, as larvae grew to a size of
2.0 mm. For larvae >2.0 mm, nauplii REs plateaued at a mean of 91.03 ± 1.70%. All larvae <0.80 mm were incapable of successfully consuming copepodites. REs of copepodites increased, 23.04 ± 4.68%, as ctenophore larvae developed to
2.5 mm. Ctenophore larvae >2.5 mm reached a maximum copepodite RE of 63.75 ± 3.01%.
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
L. J. Sullivan and D. J. Gifford Growth and feeding rates of the newly hatched larval ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz (Ctenophora, Lobata) J. Plankton Res., November 1, 2007; 29(11): 949 - 965. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
