Biomass and production of Argyrodiaptomus furcatus, a tropical calanoid copepod in Broa Reservoir, southern Brazil

Abstract

The biomass and the production of Argyrodiaptomus furcatus (Sars), the most abundant copepod in Broa Reservoir (São Carlos, São Paulo State), were estimated, determining in the laboratory the development time and the quantity of organic carbon and establishing the relationship between these two parameters. The daily production was calculated from P = B(1 − e^gt) and the annual production was obtained by integrating daily production against time. The maximum production of Argyrodiaptomus furcatus in the reservoir depends on the region considered and on the period of the year. The maximum production was 45.15 mg C m⁻³d⁻¹ in March, 1976 at station II, region of macrophytes and 6.74 mg C m⁻³d⁻¹ at station IV, near the dam. The mean production for the year is 6.26 mg C m⁻³d⁻¹ at station II and 1.43 mg C m⁻³d⁻¹ at station IV.