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The trophic role of the marine cladoceran Penilia avirostris in the Gulf of Trieste

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Abstract

The herbivory of the marine cladoceran Peniliaavirostris was studied in the Gulf of Trieste(Northern Adriatic) from June 1993 to December1994 using the gut fluorescence method. P. avirostrisoccurred from June to December, butreached its greatest abundance in the summer months.A significant correlation between the gut pigmentcontent and chlorophyll a concentration in thesurface layer was established. Observations with anepifluorescence microscope revealed that the guts werefilled with fluorescing nanoplankton and picoplankton(cyanobacteria). Quantitative estimates indicated thatP. avirostris grazed less than 5% of theavailable chlorophyll a in more than half of allmeasurements, but removed most of the availablechlorophyll a in the surface layer during someperiods in September. It can therefore be concludedthat P. avirostris, together with planktonicprotists, plays an important role within the microbialloop.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Biological Station, Piran, 6330, Slovenia

    Lovrenc Lipej, Patricija Mozetič, Valentina Turk & Alenka Malej

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  1. Lovrenc Lipej
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  2. Patricija Mozetič
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  3. Valentina Turk
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  4. Alenka Malej
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Lipej, L., Mozetič, P., Turk, V. et al. The trophic role of the marine cladoceran Penilia avirostris in the Gulf of Trieste. Hydrobiologia 360, 197–203 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003180030116

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