Abstract
This paper deals with the variations on feeding activities and diel migrations of Acartia tonsa Dana, the dominant copepod species in Berre lagoon (west Mediterranean French coasts).
A 27 hour in situ study was carried out during June 1989, at a station located in the south west of the lagoon. Vertical profiles of salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen taken each 12 hours showed a stratification of the water column in two distinct layers: (1) a superficial layer with higher temperature, moderate salinity, and high oxygen concentrations; (2) a colder, more saline and almost anoxic deep layer. In situ chlorophyll a measurements were made at −1, −3 and −5 m; concentrations were relatively homogeneous through the water column during the whole sampling period.
Zooplankton samples were collected every 3 hours with a 200 µm mesh net, in three strata (0–2 m, 2–4 m, 4–6 m). A complete dominance of A. tonsa was observed in the zooplankton community. Our results point out clearly a nocturnal migration, with individuals concentrating in both superficial layers; thus an unimodal migratory pattern can be inferred. Gut flourescence measured following the Mackas & Bohrer technique (1976), showed higher values during night time, and values for females were the highest with wider day—night variations. Similar results were found in laboratory experiments with copepods fed with a culture of Dunaliella tertiolecta.
Gut evacuation rate was measured in two laboratory experiments either mixing or separating males and females. Evacuation rate was 17.92 and 27.25 min for males and females respectively.
Phytoplankton daily ration for A. tonsa calculated by gut flourescence and gut evacuation rate was particularly low, for it represents only 10% of the individual carbon weight.
Moreover, grazing impact on phytoplankton is very restricted, it represents less than 1% of the daily phytoplankton stock.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arfi, R., 1989. Annual cycles and budget of nutriments in Berre lagoon (Mediterranean sea, France). Int. revue ges. Hydrobiol. 74: 29–49.
Arfi, R., M. Leveau & M. Pagano, 1992. Variations nycthémérales du taux de filtration du copépode Acartia tonsa sur du phytoplancton de l'étang de Berre. C.r. Acad. Sci. Paris t 314 Série III: 213–218.
Arinardi, O. H., M. A. Baars & S. S. Oosterhuis, 1990. Grazing in tropical copepods, measured by gut fluorescence, in relation to seasonal upwelling in the banda sea (Indonesia). Neth. J. Sea Res. 25: 545–560.
Baars, M. A. & H. G. Fransz, 1984. Grazing pressure of copepods on the phytoplankton stock of the central North Sea. Neth. J. Sea Res. 18: 120–142.
Baars, M. A. & G. R. Helling, 1985. Methodical problems in the measurement of phytoplankton ingestion rate by gut fluorescence. Hydrobiol. Bull. 19: 81–88.
Baars, M. A. & S. S. Oosterhuis, 1984. Diurnal feeding rhythms in North Sea copepods measured by gut fluorescence, digestive enzyme activity and grazing on labeled food. Neth. J. Sea Res. 18: 97–199.
Berggreen, U., B. Hansen & T. Kiörboe, 1988. Food size spectra,ingestion and growth of the copepod Acartia tonsa during development: Implications for determination of copepod production. Mar.Biol. 99: 341–35.
Boyd, C. M., S. L. Smith & T. J. Cowles, 1980. Grazing patterns of copepods in the upwelling system off Peru. Limnol. Oceanogr. 25: 583–586.
Buskey, E. J., C. G. Mann & E. Swift, 1986. The shadow response of the estuarine copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana). J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 103: 65–75.
Cahoon, L. B., 1981. Reproductive response of Acartia tonsa to variations in food ration and quality. Deep Sea Res. 28: 1215–1221.
Caumette, P., M. Pagano & L. Saint-Jean, 1983. Répartition verticale du phytoplancton, des bactéries et du zooplancton dans un milieu stratifié en Baie de Biétri (Lagune Ebrié, Côte d'Ivoire). Relations trophiques. Hydrobiologia 106: 135–148.
Christoffersen, K. & A.-M. Jespersen, 1986. Gut evacuation rates and ingestion rates of Eudiaptomus graciloides measured by means of the gut fluorescence method. J. Plankton Res. 8: 973–983.
Conover, R. J., 1956. Oceanography of Long Island Sound, 1952–1954. VI. Biology of Acartia clausi and A. Tonsa. Bull. Bingh. Ocean. Coll.: 156–233.
Cowles, T. J., R. J. Olson & S. W. Chisolm, 1988. Food selection by copepods: discrimination on the basis of food quality. Mar. Biol. 100: 41–49.
Dagg, M. J. & D. W. Grill, 1980. Natural feeding rates of Centropages typicus females in the New York Bight. Limnol. Oceanogr. 25: 597–609.
Dagg, M. J. & K. D. Wyman, 1983. Natural ingestion rates of the copepods Neocalanus plumchrus and N. cristatus calculated from gut contents. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 13: 37–46.
Dagg, M. J., B. W. Frost & W. E. Walser, Jr., 1989. Copepod diel migration, feeding, and the vertical flux of pheopigments. Limnol. Oceanogr. 34: 1062–1071.
Dam, H. G., 1986. Short-term feeding of Temora longicornis Müller in the laboratory and the field. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 99: 149–161.
Dam, H. G. & W. T. Peterson, 1988. The effect of temperature on the gut clearance rate constant of planktonic copepods. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 123: 1–14.
Daro, M. H., 1985. Feeding rhythms and vertical distribution of marine copepods. Bull. mar. Sci. 37: 487–497.
Durbin, E. G., A. G. Durbin, T. J. Smayda & P. G. Verity, 1983. Food limitation of production by adult Acartia tonsa in Narrangaset Bay, Rhode Island. Limnol. Oceanogr. 28: 1199–1213.
Durbin, A. G., E. G. Durbin & E. Wlodarczyk, 1990. Diel feeding behavior in the marine copepod Acartia tonsa in relation to food availability. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 68: 23–45.
Ellis, S. G. & L. F. Small, 1989. Comparison of gut-evacuation rates of feeding and non-feeding Calanus marshallae. Mar. Biol. 103: 175–181.
Gaedke, U., 1990. Population dynamics of the calanoid copepods Eurytemora affinis and Acartia tonsa in the Ems-Dollart-Estuary: A numerical simulation. Arch. Hydrobiol. 118: 185–226.
Gaudy, R., 1989. The role of zooplankton in the nitrogen cycle of a Mediterranean brackish lagoon. Topics in marine biology 53: 609–618.
Gaudy, R. & M. Pagano, 1987. Nutrition chez les copépodes en milieu lagunaire méditerranéen en fonction de la concentration en particules et de la température. In 2 ° Coll. Franco-Soviétique. YALTA, 1984. IFREMER Act. Coll. n ° 5: 137–151.
Gaudy, R. & M. D. Viñas, 1984. Première signalisation en Méditerranée du copépode pélagique Acartia tonsa. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Médit., 29: 227–229.
Gauld, D. T., 1953. Diurnal variations in the grazing of planktonic copepods. J. Mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 31: 461–474.
Gifford, D. J. & M. J. Dagg, 1988. Feeding of the estuarine copepod Acartia tonsa Dana: Carnivory vs herbivory in natural microplankton assemblages. Bull. mar. Sci. 43: 458–468.
Harris, R. P., 1988. Interactions between diel vertical migratory behavior of marine zooplankton and the subsurface chlorophyll maximum. Bull. mar. Sci. 43: 663–674.
Hassett, R. P. & M. R. Landry, 1988. Short-term changes in feeding and digestion by the copepod Calanus pacificus. Mar. Biol. 99: 63–74.
Head, E. J. H., 1986. Estimation of Arctic copepod grazing rates in vivo and comparison with in vitro methods. Mar. Biol. 92: 371–379.
Head, E. J. H., L. R. Harris & C. Abou Debs, 1985. Effect of daylength and food concentration on in situ diurnal feeding rhythms in Arctic copepods. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 24: 281–288.
Head, E. J. H., R. Wang & R. J. Conover, 1984. Comparison of diurnal rhythms in Temora longicornis and Centropages hamatus with digestive enzyme activity. J. Plankton Res. 6: 543–551.
Heinle, D. R., 1974. An alternate grazing hypothesis for the Patuxent estuary. Chesapeake Sci. 15: 146–150.
Holm-Hansen, O., C. J. Lorenzen., R. W. Olmes & J. D. H. Stricklan, 1965. Determination of Chlorophyll. J. Cons. int. Explor. Mer 30: 3–15.
Jeffries, H., 1962. Succession of two Acartia species in estuaries. Limnol. Oceanogr. 7: 354–364.
Jonsson, P. R. & P. Tiselius, 1990. Feeding behavior, prey detection and capture efficiency of the copepod Acartia tonsa feeding on planktonic ciliates. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 601: 35–44.
Kiörboe, T. & P. T. Tiselius, 1987. Gut clearance and pigment destruction in a herbivorous copepod, Acartia tonsa, and the determination of in situ grazing rates. J. Plankton Res. 9: 525–534.
Kiörboe, T., F. Mohlenberg & K. Hamburguer, 1985. Bioenergetics of the planktonic copepod Acartia tonsa: relation between feeding, egg production and respiration, and composition of specific dynamic action. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 26: 85–97.
Kiörboe, T., F. Mohlenberg & H. Nicolajsen, 1982. Ingestion rate and gut clearance in the planktonic copepod Centropages hamatus (Lilljeborg) in relation to food concentration and temperature. Ophelia 21: 181–194.
Kleppel, G. S., R. E. Pieper & G. Trager, 1988. Variability in the gut contents of individual Acartia tonsa from waters off southern California. Mar. Biol. 97: 185–190.
Kleppel, G. S., L. Willbanks & R. E. Pieper, 1985. Diel variation in body carotenoid content and feeding activity in marine zooplankton assemblages. J. Plankton Res. 7: 569–580.
Libourel-Houde, S. E. & M. R. Roman, 1987. Effects of food quality on the functional ingestion response of the copepod Acartia tonsa. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 40: 69–77.
Mackas, D. L. & R. Bohrer, 1976. Fluorescence analysis of zooplankton gut contents and an investigation of diel feeding patterns. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 25: 77–85.
Murelatos, S., 1989. Broutage du zoplancton in situ: revue critique des méthodes courantes. Acta Oecologica; Oecol. Gener. 10: 257–271.
Ohman, M. D., 1988. Sources of variability in measurements of copepod lipids and gut fluorescence in the California Current coastal zone. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 42: 143–153.
Oosterhuis, S. S. & M. A. Baars, 1985. On the usefulness of digestive enzyme activity as index for feeding activity in copepods. Hydrobiol. Bull. 19: 89–100.
Paffenhöfer, G. A. & D. E. Stearns, 1988. Why is Acartia tonsa (Copepoda: calanoida) restricted to nearshore environments? Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 42: 33–38.
Pagano, M. & L. Saint-Jean, 1985. Premiéres données sur la nutrition d'Acartia clausi en Lagune Ebrié (Côte d'Ivoire) obtenues par des mesures de la fluorescence de broyats d'animaux. Hydrobiologia 121: 83–95.
Pasternak, A. F. & A. V. Drits, 1988. Possible degradation of chlorophyll-derived pigments during gut passage of herbivorous copepods. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 49: 187–190.
Patriti, G., 1989a. Etude en milieu naturel du comportement migratoire nycthéméral du copépode Acartia tonsa Dana 1849. Mar. Nat. 2: 19–29.
Patriti, G., 1989b. Données expérimentales préliminaires sur l'étude de l'activité phototaxique du copépode Acartia tonsa Dana 1849. Mar. Nat. 2: 31–37.
Richman, S., D. R. Heinle & R. Huff, 1977. Grazing by adult estuarine calanoid copepods of the Chesapeake Bay. Mar. Biol. 42: 69–84.
Roman, M. R., 1984. Utilization of detritus by the copepod Acartia tonsa. Limnol. Oceanogr. 29: 949–959.
Roman, M. R. & P. A. Rublee, 1980. Containment effects in copepods grazing experiments; a plea to end the black box approach. Limnol. Oceanogr. 25: 982–990.
Roman, M. R., H. W. Ducklow, J. A. Fuhrman, C. Garside, P. M. Glibert, T. C. Malone & G. B. Mcmanus, 1988. Production, consumption and nutrient cycling in a laboratory mesocosm. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 42: 39–52.
Runge, J. A. & R. G. Ingram, 1988. Underice grazing by planktonic, calanoid copepods in relation to a bloom of ice microalgae in southeastern Hudson Bay. Limnol. Oceanogr. 32: 280–286.
Sabatini, M. E., 1989. Ciclo anual del copépodo Acartia tonsa Dana 1849 en la zona interna de la Bahia Blanca (Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina). Sci. Mar. 53: 847–856.
Simard, Y., G. Lacroix & L. Legendre, 1985. In situ twilight grazing rhythm during diel vertical migrations of a scattering layer of Calanus finmarchicus. Limnol. Oceanogr. 30: 598–606.
Stearns, D. E., 1986. Copepod grazing behavior in simulated natural light and its relation to nocturnal feeding. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 30: 65–76.
Stearns, D. E. & R. B. Forwards Jr, 1984a. Photosensitivity of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa. Mar. Biol. 82: 85–89.
Stearns, D. E. & R. B. Forwards Jr, 1984b. Copepod photobehavior in a simulated natural light environment and its relation to nocturnal vertical migration. Mar. Biol. 82: 91–100.
Stearns, D. E., W. Litaker & G. Rosenberg, 1987. Impacts of zooplankton grazing and excretion on short-interval fluctuations in chlorophyll a and nitrogen concentrations in a well-mixed estuary. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 24: 305–325.
Sullivan, B. K. & L. T. McManus, 1986. Factors controlling seasonal succession of the copepod Acartia hudsonica and A. tonsa in Narrangaset Bay, Rhode Island: temperature and resting egg production. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 28: 121–128.
Tiselius, P., 1988. Effects of diurnal feding rhythms, species composition and vertical migration on the grazing impact of calanoid copepods in the Skagerrak and Kattegat. Ophelia 28: 215–23.
Wang, R. & R. J. Conover, 1986. Dynamics of gut pigment in the copepod Temora longicornis and the determination of in situ grazing rates. Limnol. Oceanogr. 31: 867–877.
White, J. R. & M. J. Dagg, 1989. Effects of suspended sediments on egg production of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa. Mar. Biol. 102: 315–319.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cervetto, G., Pagano, M. & Gaudy, R. Feeding behaviour and migrations in a natural population of the copepod Acartia tonsa . Hydrobiologia 300, 237–248 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00024464
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00024464