Abstract
We determined in situ feeding rates of three co-occurring coastal mysid species using [methyl-3H]-thymidine-labelled algal detritus (Lessonia corrugata), NaH14CO3-labelled phytoplankton (Isochrysis galbana) and zooplankton (Artemia sp. nauplii). All three species showed a wide and overlapping range of feeding rates on the three food types, suggesting they were broadly omnivorous. However, selectivity studies often showed a strong preference for animal prey. Although there was an overlap in the types of food the mysids ingested, some degree of feeding niche partitioning was demonstrated. Paramesopodopsis rufa tended to be more carnivorous, Tenagomysis tasmaniae fed least on zooplankton and phytoplankton, and largely on algal detritus, and Anisomysis mixta australis ingested few zooplankters, and moderate amounts of algal detritus and phytoplankton.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albertsson, J., 2004. Trophic interactions involving mysid shrimps (Mysidacea) in the near-bottom habitat in the Baltic Sea. Aquatic Ecology 38: 457–469.
Bowers, J. A. & H. A. Vanderploeg, 1982. In situ predatory behavior of Mysis relicta in Lake Michigan. Hydrobiologia 93: 121–131.
Bremer, P. & J. Vijberberg, 1982. Production, population biology and diet of Neomysis integer (Leech) in a shallow Friesian lake (The Netherlands). Hydrobiologia 93: 41–51.
David, V., B. Sautour, R. Galois & P. Chardy, 2006. The paradox high zooplankton biomass-low vegetal particulate organic matter in high turbidity zones: what way for energy transfer? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 333: 202–218.
DeMott, W. R., 1993. Hunger-dependent diet selection in suspension-feeding zooplankton. In Hughes, R. N. (ed.), Diet Selection: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Foraging Behaviour. Blackwell Scientific Publications, London, 102–123.
Domingues, P. M., P. E. Turk, L. P. Andrade & P. G. Lee, 2001. Effects of different food items on the culture of the mysid shrimp Mysidopsis almyra. Aquaculture International 9: 393–400.
Fenton, G. E., 1986. Ecology and taxonomy of mysids (Mysidacea, Crustacea). PhD Thesis, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 412 pp.
Fenton, G. E., 1992. Population dynamics of Tenagomysis tasmaniae Fenton, Anisomysis mixta australis (Zimmer) and Paramesopodopsis rufa Fenton from south-eastern Tasmania (Crustacea: Mysidacea). Hydrobiologia 246: 173–193.
Fenton, G. E., 1996. Diet and predators of Tenagomysis tasmaniae Fenton, Anisomysis mixta australis (Zimmer) and Paramesopodopsis rufa Fenton from south-eastern Tasmania (Crustacea: Mysidacea). Hydrobiologia 323: 31–44.
Fox, H. M., 1952. Anal and oral intake of water by crustacea. Journal of Experimental Biology 29: 583–599.
Froneman, P. W., 2000. Feeding studies on selected zooplankton in a temperate estuary, South Africa. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 51: 543–552.
Froneman, P. W., 2001. Feeding ecology of the mysid Mesopodopsis wooldridgei, in a temperate estuary along the eastern seaboard of South Africa. Journal of Plankton Research 23: 999–1008.
Fuhrman, J. A. & F. Azam, 1982. Thymidine incorporation as a measure of heterotrophic bacterioplankton production in marine surface waters: evaluation and field results. Marine Biology 66: 109–120.
Fulton, R. S. III, 1982. Preliminary results of an experimental study of the effects of mysid predation on estuarine zooplankton community structure. Hydrobiologia 93: 79–84.
Gottfried, M. & M. R. Roman, 1983. Ingestion and incorporation of coral-mucus detritus by reef zooplankton. Marine Biology 72: 211–218.
Gorokhova, E. & S. Hansson, 1997. Effects of experimental conditions on the feeding rate of Mysis mixta (Crustacea, Mysidacea). Hydrobiologia 355: 167–172.
Grossnickle, N. E., 1982. Feeding habits of Mysis relicta: an overview. Hydrobiologia 93: 101–108.
Hansson, S., U. Larsson & S. Johansson, 1990. Selective predation by herring and mysids, and zooplankton community structure in a Baltic Sea coastal area. Journal of Plankton Research 12: 1099–1116.
Jerling, H. L. & T. H. Wooldridge, 1995. Feeding of two mysid species on plankton in a temperate South African estuary. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 188: 243–259.
Kibirige, I. & R. Perissinotto, 2003. In situ feeding rates and grazing impact of zooplankton in a South African temporarily open estuary. Marine Biology 142: 357–367.
Kibirige, I., R. Perissinotto & C. Nozais, 2002. Alternative food sources of zooplankton in a temporarily-open estuary: evidence from δ13C and δ15N. Journal of Plankton Research 24: 1089–1095.
Kibirige, I., R. Perissinotto & C. Nozais, 2003. Grazing rates and feeding preferences of the mysid shrimp Gastrosaccus brevifissura in a temporarily open estuary in South Africa. Marine Ecology Progress Series 251: 201–210.
Kouassi, E., M. Pagano, L. Saint-Jean & J. C. Sorbe, 2006. Diel vertical migrations and feeding behaviour of the mysid Rhopalophthalmus africana (Crustacea: Mysidacea) in a tropical lagoon (Ebrie, Cote d’ Ivoire). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 67: 355–368.
Lasenby, D. C. & R. R. Langford, 1973. Feeding and assimilation of Mysis relicta. Limnology and Oceanography 18: 280–285.
Mann, K. H., 1988. Production and use of detritus in various freshwater, estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. Limnology and Oceanography 33: 910–930.
Mauchline, J., 1980. The biology of mysids and euphausiids. Advances in Marine Biology 18: 1–681.
Mullin, M. M., 1983. In situ measurement of filtering rates of the salp, Thalia democratica, on phytoplankton and bacteria. Journal of Plankton Research 5: 279–288.
Mullin, M. M. & M. R. Roman, 1986. In situ feeding of a schooling mysid, Anisomysis sp., on Davies Reef-MECOR #4. Bulletin of Marine Science 39: 623–629.
Murtaugh, P. A., 1984. Variable gut residence time: problems in inferring feeding rate from stomach fullness of a mysid crustacean. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 41: 1287–1293.
Omori, M. & T. Ikeda, 1984. Methods in Marine Zooplankton Ecology. John-Wiley and Sons, New York, 332 pp.
Paffenhøfer, G.-A., 1988. Feeding rates and behaviour of zooplankton. Bulletin of Marine Science 43: 430–445.
Ritz, D. A., 1997. Cost and benefits as a function of group size. Experiments on a swarming mysid Paramesopodopsis rufa Fenton. In Parrish, J. K. & W. M. Hamner (eds), Animal Groups in Three Dimensions: How Species Aggregate. Cambridge Univ. Press, London, 194–206.
Roast, S. D., J. Widdows & M. B. Jones, 2000. Egestion rates of the estuarine mysid Neomysis integer (Peracarida: Mysidacea) in relation to a variable environment. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 245: 69–81.
Roman, M. R. & P. A. Rublee, 1981. A method to determine in situ zooplankton grazing rates on natural particle assemblages. Marine Biology 65: 303–309.
Sierszen, M. E. & A. S. Brooks, 1982. The release of dissolved organic carbon as a result of diatom fragmentation during feeding by Mysis relicta. Hydrobiologia 93: 155–161.
SPSS Inc., 2002. SPSS for Windows version 11. Chicago, Illinois USA.
Viherluoto, M. & M. Viitasalo, 2001. Temporal variability in functional responses and prey selectivity of the pelagic mysid, Mysis mixta, in natural assemblages. Marine Biology 138: 575–583.
Wainwright, P. F. & K. H. Mann, 1982. Effect of antimicrobial substances on the ability of the mysid shrimp Mysis stenolepis to digest cellulose. Marine Ecology Progress Series 7: 309–313.
White, J. R. & M. R. Roman, 1991. Measurement of zooplankton grazing using particles labelled in light and dark with [methyl-3H] methylamine hydrochloride. Marine Ecology Progress Series 71: 45–52.
White, J. R. & M. R. Roman, 1992. Seasonal study of grazing by metazoan zooplankton in the mesohaline Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology Progress Series 86: 251–261.
Zagursky, G. & R. J. Feller, 1985. Macrophyte detritus in the winter diet of the estuarine mysid Neomysis americana. Estuaries 8: 355–362.
Acknowledgements
We thank Drs Jeremy J. Austin and Matthew Edmunds for SCUBA diving assistance; Richard Holmes and Ron Mawbey, skippers of the Wobbegong; Dr MT Rachel Sanchez-Metillo for copyediting the manuscript; and Dr Gwen E. Fenton and two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments. EBM wishes to thank the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau (now AUSAID) for the John Crawford scholarship award.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Handling editor: P. Viaroli
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Metillo, E.B., Ritz, D.A. & Swadling, K.M. In situ feeding rate and diet selectivity in Tasmanian mysid species (Crustacea, Mysidacea). Hydrobiologia 589, 207–218 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0732-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0732-4