Abstract
The copepod Acartia tonsa displayed nearly two-fold higher ingestion rates on faster-growing cells of the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii compared to ingestion rates on slower-growing cells of that species at the same cell concentration. Ingestion rates on slow-growing cells were also enhanced by the addition of cell-free aliquots of algal exudate to the experimental feeding chambers. In addition, the faster-growing algal cells were selectively ingested by the copepod when the two cell types were mixed together in different proportions, indicating that physiological differences between growing cells are a critical factor in the food detection/selection process of zooplankton. Consideration of cell carbon, nitrogen, and protein composition suggests that the copepods are maximizing nitrogenous ingestion (total protein and/or nitrogen). Selectivity for cells with higher protein content results in a higher daily protein ration, even if the selection process results in a decreased rate of ingestion in mixtures of cell types.
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Communicated by P. C. Schroeder, Pullman
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Cowles, T.J., Olson, R.J. & Chisholm, S.W. Food selection by copepods: discrimination on the basis of food quality. Marine Biology 100, 41–49 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392953
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392953