DEVELOPMENT, GROWTH AND SURVIVORSHIP OF JUVENILE CALANOID COPEPODS ON DIETS OF CYANOBACTERIA AND ALGAE

Nauplii and immature copepodites of Boeckella triarticulata, B. hamata and B. dilatata were tested for their ability to survive and grow on monospecific diets of four species of filamentous cyanobacteria, Cyclotella (Cy) and Cryptomonas (Cr) at 2 mg dry weight 1-1. Cr supported the development from nauplius to adult of all three calanoid species; complete development on other diets occurred only in B. dilatata on Cy and Anabaena oscillarioides (Ao). Differences between nauplii and copepodites of B. dilatata and B. hamata in survivorship and development on diets of Cy, Anabaena flos-aquae (Af), Ao and Nostoc sp. 2 (N2) imply ontogenetic shifts in resource utilization with developmental phase. Ranked in order of their ability to support the development of juvenile boeckellids the foods were Cr > Cy > Ao > N2 > Af > Nostoc calcicola = no food.