Abstract
Herbivorous zooplankton species (Calanus plumchrus, Paracalanus parvus and Euphausia pacifica) and carnivorous species (Parathemisto pacifica and Pleurobrachia pileus) collected from Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada, were maintained in the laboratory under fed and starved conditions. Respiration rate and excretion rates of ammonia and inorganic phosphate were measured successively on the same batch populations of each species in different feeding conditions. Respiration rate remained at a constant level or increased during the feeding experiment but decreased progressively in starved individuals. Herbivorous, but not carnivorous, species showed a rapid decrease in both excretion rates for the first few days of an experiment irrespective of feeding conditions. However, the general level of excretion rates of fed specimens was higher than that of starved ones. The O:N, N:P and O:P ratios were calculated from respiration, ammonia excretion and phosphate excretion and discussed in relation to metabolic substrates of animals during the experiment. A marked difference was shown in the O:N ratio between fed hervivores (>16) and fed carnivores (7 to 19), suggesting highly protein-oriented metabolism in the latter. One unknown factor causing variation in excretion rates is speculated to be the physiological stress on animals during sampling from the field. It is suggested that the laboratory measurement of realistic excretion rates of zooplankton is difficult owing to their large fluctuations, but this is not the case with respiration rate.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Beers, J.R.: Ammonia and inorganic phosphorus excretion by the planktonic chaetognath, Sagitta hispida conant. J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 29, 123–129 (1964)
Brett, J.R. and C.A. Zala: Daily pattern of nitrogen excretion and oxygen consumption of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) under controlled conditions. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 32, 2479–2486 (1975)
Butler, E.I., E.D.S. Corner and S.M. Marshall: On the nutrition and metabolism of zooplankton. VI. Feeding efficiency of Calanus in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus. J. max. biol. Ass. U.K. 49, 977–1001 (1969)
———: On the nutrition and metabolism of zooplankton. VII. Seasonal survey of nitrogen and phosphorus excretion by Calanus in the Clyde Sea area. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 50, 525–560 (1970)
Conover, R.J. and E.D.S. Corner: Respiration and nitrogen excretion by some marine zooplankton in relation to their life cycle. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 48, 49–75 (1968)
Corner, E.D.S., C.B. Cowey and S.M. Marshall: On the nutrition and metabolism of zooplankton. III. Nitrogen excretion by Calanus. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 45, 429–442 (1965)
— and A.G. Davies: Plankton as a factor in the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles in the sea. Adv. mar. Biol. 9, 101–204 (1971)
—, R.N. Head and C.C. Kilvington: On the nutrition and metabolism of zooplankton. VIII. The grazing of Biddulphia cells by Calanus helgolandicus. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 52, 847–861 (1972)
Emerson, K., R.C. Russo, R.E. Lund and R.V. Thurston: Aqueous ammonia equilibrium calculations: Effect of pH and temperature. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 32, 2379–2383 (1975)
Fulton, J.D., O.D. Kennedy, H. Seki and K. Stephens: Biological, chemical and physical observations in Saanich Inlet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Manuscr. Rep. Ser. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 1018, 1–109 (1969)
Hargrave, B.T. and G.H. Geen: Phosphorus excretion by zooplankton. Limol. Oceanogr. 13, 332–342 (1968)
Harris, E.: The nitrogen cycle in Long Island Sound. Bull. Bingham oceangr. Coll. 17, 31–65 (1959)
Ikeda, T.: Relationship between respiration rate and body size in marine plankton animals as a function of the temperature of habitat. Bull. Fac. Fish. Hokkaido Univ. 21, 91–112 (1970)
— Nutritional ecology of marine zooplankton. Mem. Fac. Fish. Hookaido Univ. 22, 1–97 (1974)
—, The effect of laboratory conditions on the extrapolation of experimental measurements to the ecology of marine zooplankton. I. Effect of feeding condition on the respiration rate. Bull. Plankton Soc. Japan 23, 1–10 (1976)
Le Borgne, R.P.: Etude de la respiration et de l'excrétion d'azote et de phosphore des populations zooplanctoniques de l'upwelling mauritanien (mars-avril, 1972). Mar. Biol. 19, 249–257 (1973)
Lee, R.F.: Lipid composition of the copepod Calanus hyperboreus from the Arctic Ocean. Changes with depth and season. Mar. Biol. 26, 313–318 (1974)
Love, R.M.: The chemical biology of fishes, 547 pp. London and New York: Academic Press 1970
Marshall, S.M.: Respiration and feeding in copepods. Adv. mar. Biol. 11, 57–120 (1973)
— and A.P. Orr: On the biology of Calanus finmarchicus. XII. The phosphorus cycle: excretion, egg production, autolysis. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 41, 463–488 (1961)
Martin, J.H.: Phytoplankton-zooplankton relationships in Narragansett Bay. III. Seasonal changes in zooplankton excretion rates in relation to phytoplankton abundance. Limnol. Oceanogr. 13, 63–71 (1968)
Mayzaud, P.: Respiration and nitrogen excretion of zooplankton. II. Studies of the metabolic characteristics of starved animals. Mar. Biol. 21, 19–28 (1973)
Mullin, M.M.: Production of zooplankton in the ocean: the present status and problems. Oceanogr. mar. Biol. A. Rev. 7, 293–314 (1969)
—, M.J. Perry, E.H. Renger and P.M. Evans: Nutrient regeneration by oceanic zooplankton: a comparison of methods. Mar. Sci. Communs 1, 1–13 (1975)
Nival, P., G. Malara, R. Charra, I. Palazzoli and S. Nival: Etude de la respiration et de l'excrétion de quelques copépodes planctoniques (Crustacea) dans la zone de Remontée d'eau profonde des côtes Marocaines. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 15, 231–260 (1974)
Prosser, C.L. and F.A. Brown, Jr.: Comparative animal physiology, 688 pp. Philadelphia & London: W.B. Saunders Co. 1961
Reeve, M.R., J.E.G. Raymont and J.K.B. Raymont: Seasonal biochemical composition and energy sources of Sagitta hispida. Mar. Biol. 6, 357–364 (1970)
Rogers, C.G.: Textbook of comparative physiology, 635 pp. New York: McGraw-Hill 1927
Satomi, M. and L.R. Pomeroy: Respiration and phosphorus excretion in some marine populations. Ecology 46, 877–881 (1965)
Skjoldal, H.R. and U. Båmstedt: Ecobiochemical studies on the deep-water pelagic community of Korsfjorden, Western Norway. Adenine nucleotides in zooplankton. Mar. Biol. (In press). (1977)
Strickland, J.D.H. and T.R. Parsons: A practical handbook of seawater analysis. Bull. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 167, 1–310 (1972)
Taguchi, S. and H. Ishii: Shipboard experiments on respiration, excretion, and grazing of Calanus cristatus and C. plumchrus (Copepoda) in the northern North Pacific. In: Biological oceanography of the northern North Pacific Ocean, pp 419–431. Ed. by A.Y. Takenouti. Tokyo: Idemitsu Shoten 1972
Takahashi, M. and T. Ikeda: Excretion of ammonia and inorganic phosphorus by Euphausia pacifica and Metridia pacifica at different concentrations of phytoplankton. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 32, 2189–2195 (1975)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by G.F. Humphrey, Sydney
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ikeda, T. The effect of laboratory conditions on the extrapolation of experimental measurements to the ecology of marine zooplankton. IV. Changes in respiration and excretion rates of boreal zooplankton species maintained under fed and starved conditions. Mar. Biol. 41, 241–252 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394910
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394910