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Effects of season and maternal food on Calanus finmarchicus reproduction, with emphasis on free amino acids

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Abstract

Effects of maternal food environment and season were examined during spring and autumn on females, eggs and nauplii of Calanus finmarchicus, in different natural prey suspensions or cultures of Rhodomonas baltica. Females sampled in spring were in general larger, had higher protein content, and showed higher egg production and hatching rates, than in autumn. The cumulative egg production was almost double in spring compared to autumn (females fed R. baltica). Females had higher content of free amino acids (FAA) and free essential amino acids (EAA) in autumn than in the spring. Also, the FAA contents in eggs and nauplii were higher in autumn than in spring. In contrast, the composition of EAA in eggs was constant between seasons, indicating maternal regulation. The highest cumulative egg production was correlated with a high similarity in the free pool of EAA in the food suspension and the female copepod. Thus, the data support the hypothesis that similarity in the free pool of EAA of diet and female promotes high fecundity and egg hatching success in C. finmarchicus.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge M.B. Martinussen and the staff at Espegrend for field assistance, M.S. Evjen for analytical assistance, and D. Evensen for providing R. baltica. This work was a part of the MARICULT project NAPP and was supported by grants from The Research Council of Norway. These experiments comply with the current animal experimental laws of Norway, the country in which the present work was conducted.

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Author notes

  1. S. Helland

    Present address: Institute of Aquaculture Research, AKVAFORSK, 6600, Sunndalsøra, Norway

  2. U. Båmstedt

    Present address: Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Norrbyn, 91020, Hörnefors, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries and Marine Biology, Bergen High Technology Centre, University of Bergen, P.O. Box 7800, 5020, Bergen, Norway

    S. Helland, J. C. Nejstgaard, R. Humlen & U. Båmstedt

  2. Department of Zoology, University of Bergen, Allègt. 41, 5027, Bergen, Norway

    H. J. Fyhn

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  1. S. Helland
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Correspondence to S. Helland.

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Communicated by L. Hagerman, Helsingør

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Helland, S., Nejstgaard, J.C., Humlen, R. et al. Effects of season and maternal food on Calanus finmarchicus reproduction, with emphasis on free amino acids. Marine Biology 142, 1141–1151 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1045-4

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