基于脂肪酸标记的长江口海区浮游动物常见种食性分析

脂肪酸不仅是浮游动物的重要组分,也被作为生物标记来指示动物的食物组成及其之间的营养关系。本文运用脂肪酸标记法对长江口附近海区6个浮游动物常见种的食性进行了分析。研究结果表明,中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)雌体和桡足幼体都表现出明显的植食性。但雌体中16:1ω7的含量要明显高于18:4ω3,表明雌体对硅藻的摄食较多;桡足幼体的18:4ω3要高于雌体,说明桡足幼体对甲藻的摄食较多。磷虾(Euphausia spp.)的多不饱和脂肪酸(PUFA)和ω3系列脂肪酸的含量很高,说明其作为饵料可以给摄食者提供较多的脂类营养物质。中华哲水蚤和磷虾较低的22:6ω3/20:5ω3比值说明他们的营养地位较低。箭虫(Sagitta spp.)的20:1和22:1脂肪酸含量很高,指示了其对植食性桡足类的摄食。蝶水母(Ocyropsis crystallina)、瓜水母(Bero cucumis)和四叶小舌水母(Liriopetetraphylla)的20:1+22:1脂肪酸所占比例较高,指示了其对植食性桡足类的摄食,但是水母类的总脂肪酸含量都很低。几种水母和箭虫的22:6ω3的含量要明显高于20:5ω3的含量,说明它们在浮游食物网中具有较高的营养地位。     

基于脂肪酸标记法和碳氮稳定同位素比值法的东海水母常见种的食性分析

采用脂肪酸标记法和碳氮稳定同位素比值法研究了东海6个水母常见种的食性。结果表明,6种水母的总脂肪酸含量都不高,说明作为饵料,水母不能够给捕食者提供较多的脂类营养物质。蝶水母(Ocyropsis crystallina)、瓜水母(Bero cucumis)和四叶小舌水母(Liriope tetraphylla)的脂肪酸组成较为相近,它们更多地通过捕食食物链获得有机质。同时,这几种小型水母摄食浮游植物(主要是硅藻和甲藻)比其它几种水母多;另外,它们对植食性桡足类也有一定的摄食。4月份墨绿多管水母(Aequorea coerulescens)主要通过腐生食物链获取有机质;另外,其对植食性桡足类也有一定的摄食。双生水母(Diphyidae spp.)参与腐生食物链也较多;另外,20:1+22:1含量较低指示了其对植食性桡足类几乎不摄食。蝶水母、瓜水母、四叶小舌水母和沙海蜇(Nemopilema nomurai)的δ13C更接近于陆源的C4植物的δ13C,说明其受陆源影响较大。δ15N特征结果表明,蝶水母、瓜水母和四叶小舌水母(Liriope tetraphylla)在浮游食物网中均处于较高营养级,沙海蜇虽个体较大,但由于其摄食器官较小,故其与这3种小型水母的营养地位相近。并且相对于其它几种水母,沙海蜇细菌脂肪酸标记更为明显。     

渤海湾浮游桡足类群落特征

采用浅水Ⅰ型浮游生物网,分别于2017年春、夏、秋和冬季在渤海湾海域采集浮游动物,分析了桡足类群落的组成种类、生物多样性和丰度分布特征及环境因子与桡足类群落特征之间的关系.结果如下:调查海域共出现桡足类20种,其中秋季种类最多达到13种,春季和冬季分别为12种和9种,夏季最少为8种.渤海湾海域桡足类丰度的平均值在春季最...     

南极夏季宇航员海浮游动物群落结构及其与环境因子的关系

基于中国第36次南极科学考察期间(2019年12月至2020年1月)于南极宇航员海使用北太平洋网(0.5m~2,330μm)采集的浮游动物样品,对浮游动物的丰度、群落结构、优势种种群结构及其与环境因子之间的关系进行了研究。结果表明:2019/2020年南极夏季宇航员海浮游动物总丰度在8.93—102.00 ind./m3之间,最高丰度记录在宇航员海中部靠北区域,浮游动物主要由桡足类、磷虾、毛颚类、浮游被囊类等类群组成。调查海域桡足类丰度对浮游动物总丰度的贡献可达90%以上,其中、大中型桡足类Calanoides acutus, Metridia gerlachei, Calanus propinquus和Rhincalanus gigas分布广泛,而小型桡足类Oithona similis、Oithona frigida、Ctenocalanus citer、Oncaea conifera等在丰度上占比较高。通过聚类分析可将宇航员海浮游动物在区域上划分为5个群落,普里兹湾涡流、威德尔涡流、南极绕极流南界等物理海洋学过程是宇航员海浮游动物群落分布模式的主要控制因素。另外,生物环境匹配(Bio-env)分析显示,饵料(叶绿素a)也对该海区浮游动物的种群和群落结构具有重要影响。     

洋山深水港入境船舶压载水浮游动物种类组成分析

2008年10月至2009年4月采集了19艘停靠在上海洋山深水港的入境船舶压载水水样,对其浮游动物的种类组成进行了分析,共检出压载水中浮游动物39种,其中桡足类37种、淡水枝角类1种、海洋枝角类1种.结果显示,压载水中浮游动物的密度及种类组成与水样压载地的环境直接相关,不同航线船舶压载水中浮游动物的种类差异较大.调查发...     

厦门海域小型浮游动物和桡足类的摄食对浮游植物生长的影响

2005年11月16日和27日,运用稀释法和桡足类添加法,对厦门宝珠屿海域小型浮游动物及桡足类的摄食对浮游植物生长的影响进行了研究.结果表明,各粒级浮游植物的生长率均大于小型浮游动物的摄食率,小型浮游动物对总的Chla和nano-Chla具有一致的显著的摄食作用(0.51～0.78d-1),当存在螺旋环沟藻等大型的异养甲藻时,亦能摄食micro-级浮游植物.所添加的桡足类主要摄食micro-级的浮游植物,也显著摄食小型浮游动物,16日,所添加的桡足类促进nano-级浮游植物的每天生长效应达0.03ind/dm3.说明了厦门海域小型浮游动物及桡足类的摄食共同控制着浮游植物的生长,由于桡足类的杂食性,可产生一定的营养级联效应.     

滦河口近岸海域浮游动物群落与环境因子的关系（英文）

本研究对滦河口近岸海域19个站点浮游动物群落结构的时空分布及其与环境因子的关系进行了分析。结果表明,共发现浮游动物种类25个。其中,桡足类是最丰富的类群(春季和夏季分别占浮游动物总丰度的93.6%和74.9%)。春、夏季桡足类的种类组成相同,其中,小拟哲水蚤(Paracalanus parvus)和双毛纺锤水蚤(Acartia bifilosa)为两季优势种,都超过桡足类总丰度的15%。春季浮游动物的总丰度比夏季高,它们的平均值分别11 657 ind/m~3和1 549 ind/m~3。One-Way ANOVA分析表明,春、夏季浮游动物丰度差异显著(p0.001)。冗余分析(RDA)表明,盐度和营养盐分别是影响春季和夏季浮游动物分布的主要环境因子。     

长江口几种优势桡足类对微型浮游动物的摄食研究

利用现场海水培养实验,结合浮游动物网样数据,研究长江口邻近海域几种优势桡足类(中华哲水蚤、背针胸刺水蚤、太平洋纺锤水蚤和精致真刺水蚤)对微型浮游动物的摄食影响。结果表明,精致真刺水蚤虽然属于肉食性种类,但几乎不摄食微型浮游动物;其余三种杂食性桡足类中华哲水蚤、背针胸刺水蚤和太平洋纺锤水蚤对微型浮游动物(纤毛虫+异养甲藻)的摄食率分别为0.66、0.09和0.59μg C/(ind·d),分别占其日总摄食量的29%、24%和37%。其中,异养甲藻在初始生物量和对桡足类饵料贡献上分别占整个微型浮游动物的30%和28%,是微型浮游动物中一个重要的组成类群。中华哲水蚤对微型浮游动物的摄食率与初始食物浓度有显著的正相关关系,并且对体长20μm纤毛虫的清滤率要明显高于对体长20μm的纤毛虫(P0.01)的清滤率,表明其偏好摄食较大个体的食物。通过Chesson选择性指数显示,尽管微型浮游动物在生物量上远小于浮游植物,但桡足类能优先选择摄食微型浮游动物;进一步结合网采浮游动物数据,获得各站三种优势桡足类丰度平均占桡足类总丰度的77%,但它们对微型浮游动物现存生物量的摄食压力仅为0.8%,表明桡足类对微型浮游动物群落的下行控制作用并不明显,仍有大部分微型浮游动物生物量未通过摄食途径进入到桡足类群落中。     

台湾北部近岸海域春末浮游动物的组成及分布特征

本研究于2003年5月5日至6日对台湾北部近岸海域，具有地区特征的5个测站进行浮游动物数量、组成等调查研究．结果共发现22大类浮游动物，桡足类为此次调查的主要优势大类，约占总浮游动物个体数量的42．57％，其次为桡足幼体(copepodids)。占27．38％，两者在各测站的出现率皆高达100％．根据浮游动物丰度比较、群聚分析与水文状况，可将东北3个测站与西北2个测站分为两个不同的群落．其中，西北部测站可能因沿岸溪流大量有机物的注入，有利浮游动物增生，因此丰度较高，但5个测站的浮游动物多样性皆不高，与台湾其它沿岸海域研究结果相似．     

西沙群岛珊瑚礁海域浮游动物群落结构初步分析*

为了解西沙群岛珊瑚礁海域浮游动物的群落特征, 于2015年5月末至7月初在西沙群岛8个岛礁(七连屿、永兴岛和东岛3个岛屿以及浪花礁、盘石屿、玉琢礁、华光礁和北礁5个环礁)进行了浮游动物采样, 分析了浮游动物的多样性、丰度和群落结构特征, 并比较了5个环礁潟湖内和向海礁坡区浮游动物群落组成的差异。调查海域共鉴定浮游动物180种(包括浮游幼虫13个类群), 其中桡足类最多, 达83种, 其次是水母类(38种)、浮游软体类(14种)、毛颚类(11种)和浮游被囊类(7种); 浮游动物平均丰度为256.4±117.8个·m^-3, 桡足类占总丰度的51.08%, 其次是浮游幼虫(16.30%)、浮游被囊类(13.22%)和毛颚类(7.70%)。浮游动物种数、多样性和均匀度指数、丰度在岛屿和环礁之间以及环礁的潟湖区和向海礁坡区均存在差异; 浮游动物多样性和丰度在东岛、玉琢礁和华光礁较高, 而在七连屿和北礁较低; 5个环礁向海礁坡区的浮游动物多样性和丰度皆高于潟湖区的。多元统计分析结果表明调查岛礁的浮游动物可划分两个聚群(相似水平85%); 岛屿近岸及环礁的潟湖群落(Ⅰ)和岛屿远岸及环礁的向海礁坡群落(Ⅱ); 两个聚群浮游动物组成差异较显著(r=0.832, p<0.001); 前者的种数、多样性指数、总丰度和主要浮游动物类群如桡足类、毛颚类和浮游幼虫的丰度显著低于后者。环礁潟湖区和向海礁坡区的空间异质性和生态环境差异可能是导致浮游动物群落结构呈现不同特征的主要因素。     

锯缘青蟹卵黄发生期卵巢和肝胰腺脂类的变化

锯缘青蟹2次卵巢发育时的卵黄发生旺期与卵黄发生初期相比,卵巢指数和卵巢脂肪含量(%卵巢干重或湿重)均显著增加,积累了大量的脂类,而这一时期的肝胰腺指数和肝胰腺脂肪含量均无显著变化,说明在卵黄发生时期,肝胰腺吸收的脂肪均及时转运到正在发育的卵巢.卵黄发生期,卵巢或肝胰腺磷脂/总脂的百分含量,均无显著变化,肝胰腺中游离脂肪酸逐步增加,甚至在卵黄发生后期超过甘油三酯的含量.卵黄发生阶段,无论肝胰腺或卵巢,其磷脂长链多不饱和脂肪酸显著高于中性脂,而饱和脂肪酸含量相对较低;肝胰腺脂类脂肪酸组成的最主要变化是中性脂的n3系列的长链多不饱和脂肪酸,尤其是C22:6n3显著降低.卵黄发生初期,肝胰腺磷脂与卵巢中性脂的脂肪酸组成(肝胰腺转运脂肪时,首先要将吸收或储存的脂类转换成磷脂,才能运出)无显著差异,但卵黄发生旺期,肝胰腺磷脂的长链多不饱和脂肪酸显著高于卵巢中性脂的含量.文中讨论了这些变化的原因.     

阿根廷巴塔哥尼亚陆架拉氏南美南极鱼(Patagonotothen ramsayi)不同组织中脂肪酸分布及食物来源指示

作为南美南极鱼科中数量最为丰富的一个种,拉氏南美南极鱼(Patagonotothen ramsayi)在巴塔哥尼亚海域食物网能量流动中起着重要的传递作用。目前针对该鱼种的营养及摄食生态学研究主要集中于反映短期摄食的传统胃含物分析上。为此,本研究分析了拉氏南美南极鱼3种组织(肌肉、肝脏和性腺)中脂肪酸含量及分布情况,并就3种组织中的脂肪酸是否能表征其食性及食性转换进行了探究。结果表明,拉氏南美南极鱼体内共检测出27种脂肪酸;由于涉及生长、繁殖等因素影响,肝脏、性腺组织对于脂肪酸的储存及使用情况并不适用于指征食性,而肌肉组织更新时间相对较长,故能够较好地反映其对食物中脂肪酸的吸收。对不同体长组拉氏南美南极鱼肌肉组织中脂肪酸分析可知,未成熟拉氏南美南极鱼(100~240 mm)主要摄食浮游性生物;随着体长增加对底栖生物的摄食也随之增加,由浮游性摄食方式转变为浮游-底栖性摄食。另外,因拉氏南美南极鱼摄食一定量的渔业丢弃物,导致腐生食物链和捕食食物链的贡献率特征弱化。研究结果进一步显示,针对大洋性鱼类,与肝脏和性腺相比,肌肉组织脂肪酸更适用于表征食物来源。     

Dietary separation between co-occurring copepods in a food-limited tropical coral reef of the Sanya Bay

Food differentiation among coexistent species in the field is important strategy for copepods to acquire materials and maintain population stabilization.In situ diet analysis of co-occurring six copepod species in coral waters of the Sanya Bay was conducted using a PCR protocol based on 18 S ribosomal gene.Various prey organisms were uncovered,including dinoflagellate,diatom,green algae and plant,protozoa and metazoan.All these spatially coexisting six species showed different dietary diversity,with the food niche breadth(B)ranging from 1.00(Temora turbinate in morning)to 10.68(Calanopia elliptica in night).While food overlap between all these copepods were low,with the average value of the diet niche overlap index being approximately 0.09.Even temporally co-existing species sampled from the same time point fed on different groups of prey items with the food overlap index of 0.04 to 0.07 in midday and night but 0 in morning.As the most important dominant copepod in the Sanya Bay,Subeucalanus subcrassus seems to be capable to regulate its feeding,by exhibiting a rhythm of herbivorous feeding in midday and carnivorous feeding in morning and night,to better coordinate with other competitors for utilization of food resources.For most copepods,none of the prey items belonged to the dominant phytoplankton in the ambient water,indicating that copepod can better their survival by widening the choice of potential food resources in food limited environment.The dietary separation observed here might be important strategy for copepod to maintain population stabilization and thriving in the Sanya coastal waters.     

Transfer of lipids from plankton to blubber of harp and hooded seals off East Greenland

Sub-Arctic marine ecosystems are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world's oceans. The capacity of herbivorous zooplankton, such as Calanus, to biosynthesize and store large amounts of lipids during the short and intense spring bloom is a fundamental adaptation which facilitates the large production in these ecosystems. These energy-rich lipids are rapidly transferred through the food chain to Arctic seals. The fatty acids and stable isotopes from harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) off East Greenland as well as their potential prey, were analysed. The results were used to describe the lipid dynamics and energy transfer in parts of the East Greenland ecosystem. Even if the two seal species showed considerable overlap in diet and occurred at relatively similar trophic levels, the fatty acid profiles indicated that the bases of the food chains of harp and hooded seals were different. The fatty acids of harp seals originate from diatom-based food chain, whereas the fatty acids of hooded seals originate from dinoflagellate and the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis pouchetii-based food chain. Stable isotope analyses showed that both species are true carnivores on the top of their food chains, with hooded seal being slightly higher on the food chain than harp seal.     

南黄海和渤海近海海域中华哲水蚤的现场摄食研究

桡足类是海洋生态系统中初级生产者和较高营养级消费者之间的关键联系环节,掌握桡足类的现场食物组成对于准确评估海洋食物网中的营养关系和能量转移至关重要。本研究中,我们以中华哲水蚤这一在中国、日本以及韩国近海具有重要生态地位的大型哲水蚤属桡足类为研究对象,应用之前开发的基于PCR的克隆技术,通过分析中华哲水蚤所摄食生物的18S rDNA序列,研究了中华哲水蚤的现场食物组成。结果揭示了南黄海（Y19站位）和渤海（B49站位）中华哲水蚤食物组成的多样性。共检测出43个操作分类单元（OTUs）,分别隶属于13个类群：硅藻（Bacillariophyta）、甲藻（Dinoflagellata）、硅鞭藻（Dictyochophyceae）、金藻（Chrysophyta）、Katablepharidophyta、浮生藻（Pelagophyceae）、无根虫（Apusozoa）、水螅水母（Hydrozoa）、栉水母（Ctenophora）、棘皮动物（Echinodermata）、被囊动物（Tunicata）、毛颚动物（Chaetognatha）以及海洋真菌。结果还表明,当发生藻类暴发时,中华哲水蚤可以摄食引发藻类暴发的藻种。当周围海域浮游植物的丰度相对较低时,中华哲水蚤可以选择摄食各种后生动物尤其是水螅水母和栉水母的卵、幼虫或者有机碎屑。我们的研究结果表明中华哲水蚤是一种杂食性桡足类,它对食物的选择依赖其生活海域中食物的可获得性。     

Feeding Strategy of Japanese Sand Lance Larvae in Relation to Ciliated Protozoa in the Vicinity of a Thermohaline Front

Larval feeding and survival strategies are described on a Japanese sand lance, Ammodytes personatus Girard, collected in the vicinity of a thermohaline front in the Ise Bay, in comparison with those of other predominant larvae, Hexagrammos spp. and Sebastiscus marmoratus (Cuvier). First-feeding A. personatus larvae (3.1–3.9 mm NL) fed primarily on tintinnid ciliates, subsequently switching to copepod nauplii (4.0–7.9 mm NL larvae) and post-naupliar copepods (8.0–11.3 mm NL larvae). First-feeding Hexagrammos spp. larvae (6.5–6.9 mm NL) fed primarily on post-naupliar copepods, and first-feeding S. marmoratus larvae (<4.0 mm NL), mostly on copepod nauplii. The different food preferences of these species at first-feeding were related to their different mouth widths (0.15–0.19, 0.52–0.56 and 0.32–0.40 mm, respectively) and/or body size (3.1–3.9, 6.5–6.9 and 3.2–3.9 mm NL, respectively). Ciliate-feeding by first-feeding A. personatus larvae was strongly related to the convergence of the larvae and their prey near the thermohaline front, densities of both being greater on the inshore side of the frontal zone. In conclusion, the aggregation of ciliates near the thermohaline front may have improved feeding conditions and survival of first-feeding A. personatus larvae.     

卤虫无节幼体的营养强化对黑斑口虾蛄(Oratosquilla kempi)幼体发育的影响

用扁藻、酵母、“鱼油 酵母”强化和“不强化”4种方式处理的卤虫无节幼体投喂黑斑口虾蛄各期幼体,比较不同强化方法对黑斑口虾蛄幼体成活率、变态率、生长速度及总脂与脂肪酸组成的影响。结果表明,3种方式强化12h后的卤虫无节幼体与对照组相比,总脂含量都有不同程度的增加。卤虫无节幼体的脂肪酸组成与强化方式密切相关,其中“鱼油 酵母”强化的卤虫无节幼体20∶5n-3(EPA)和22∶6n-3(DHA)占总脂肪酸的比例最高,分别为5·74%和4·84%。投喂强化后富含EPA和DHA的卤虫无节幼体,可增加黑斑口虾蛄幼体体内脂肪酸尤其是EPA和DHA等不饱和脂肪酸的含量,从而提高其幼体的成活率、变态率与发育速度。     

Feeding ecology of Ammothella longipes (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) in the Mediterranean Sea: A fatty acid biomarker approach

Fatty acid analysis has proved valuable in determining seasonal trophic links and the feeding behavior in organisms in which these diet and trophic links cannot be inferred from stomach content analyses. Seasonal variations in total free fatty acid content (TFFA) and fatty acid composition of seston (<250 μm), the brown macroalgae Stypocaulon spp., polychaetes (Nereididae) and the pycnogonid Ammothella longipes have been used to establish their trophic links, with particular focus on seasonality and feeding ecology of A. longipes. Samples were collected in a coastal environment (NW Mediterranean Sea) at 7–10 m depth, in five different periods (August and October 2008, February, June and September 2009). Seston and Stypocaulon spp. samples did not show significant seasonal variations in TFFA content, while nereids showed a significant variation. Analysis of fatty acid profile showed high similarities of fatty acid composition between seston and Stypocaulon spp. Nereids were closer to seston and Stypocaulon spp. than A. longipes, which seemed to follow a seasonal trend. The results of this study reveal that A. longipes may change its feeding behavior depending on the season and available food. This pycnogonid species appears to be carnivore during spring and early summer but seems to feed on detritus when availability of prey diminishes during winter. Notable high amounts of odd-chain fatty acids are found in summer–autumn for this species, which may come from bacteria acquired from the detrital diet or from de novo biosynthesis from propionate. The results obtained provide new and valuable data on the understudied feeding biology of pycnogonids in general, and contribute to the understanding of their functioning of Mediterranean shallow oligotrophic systems and their trophic links.     

海南常见红树植物叶片脂肪酸组成

脂肪酸的组成分析对认识红树植物脂肪酸资源、红树林生态系统内部的营养关系、食物网的结构,以及红树植物对生境的适应等具有重要参考价值。本研究分析了海南岛铁炉港和清澜港两个港湾的红海榄(Rhizophora stylosa)、杯萼海桑(Sonneratia alba)、木果楝(Xylocarpus granatum)、角果木(Ceriops tagal)、榄李(Lumnitzera racemosa)、木榄(Bruguiera gymnorrhiza)和正红树(Rhizophora apiculata)等7种不同红树植物叶片中脂肪酸的组成及含量。在样品中共检测出25种脂肪酸,其中月桂酸、棕榈酸和肉豆蔻酸等8种存在于所有样品中。样品中含量最高的饱和脂肪酸均为棕榈酸(占比44.32%),其次为硬脂酸(占比7.74%),不饱和脂肪酸含量较高的有油酸(占比7.61%)、亚油酸(占比9.81%)和二十碳烯酸(占比12.16%)。植物样品的脂肪酸不饱和指数为0.24～1.13。除木果楝和清澜港采集的木榄样品外,其余样品种的不饱和脂肪酸含量均低于饱和脂肪酸。铁炉港的红海榄、杯萼海桑、角果木和榄李4种植物叶...     

Assessment of storage lipid accumulation patterns in eucalanoid copepods from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

Members of the copepod family Eucalanidae are widely distributed throughout the world׳s oceans and have been noted for their accumulation of storage lipids in high- and low-latitude environments. However, little is known about the lipid composition of eucalanoid copepods in low-latitude environments. The purpose of this study was to examine fatty acid and alcohol profiles in the storage lipids (wax esters and triacylglycerols) of Eucalanus inermis, Rhincalanus rostrifrons, R. nasutus, Pareucalanus attenuatus, and Subeucalanus subtenuis, collected primarily in the eastern tropical north Pacific near the Tehuantepec Bowl and Costa Rica Dome regions, noted for its oxygen minimum zone, during fall 2007 and winter 2008/2009. Adult copepods and particulate material were collected in the upper 50 m and from 200 to 300 m in the upper oxycline. Lipid profiles of particulate matter were generated to help ascertain information on ecological strategies of these species and on differential accumulation of dietary and modified fatty acids in the wax ester and triacylglycerol storage lipid components of these copepods in relation to their vertical distributions around the oxygen minimum zone. Additional data on phospholipid fatty acid and sterol/fatty alcohol fractions were also generated to obtain a comprehensive lipid data set for each sample. Rhincalanus spp. accumulated relatively large amounts of storage lipids (31–80% of dry mass (DM)), while E. inermis had moderate amounts (2–9% DM), and P. attenuatus and S. subtenuis had low quantities of storage lipid (0–1% DM). E. inermis and S. subtenuis primarily accumulated triacylglycerols (>90% of storage lipids), while P. attenuatus and Rhincalanus spp. primarily accumulated wax esters (>84% of storage lipids). Based on previously generated molecular phylogenies of the Eucalanidae family, these results appear to support genetic predisposition as a major factor explaining why a given species accumulates primarily triacylglycerols or wax esters, and also potentially dictating major fatty acid and alcohol accumulation patterns within the more highly modified wax ester fraction. Comparisons of fatty acid profiles between triacylglycerol and wax ester components in copepods with that in available prey suggested that copepod triacylglycerols were more reflective of dietary fatty acids, while wax esters contained a higher proportion of modified or de novo synthesized forms. Sterols and phospholipid fatty acids were similar between species, confirming high levels of regulation within these components. Similarities between triacylglycerol fatty acid profiles of E. inermis collected in surface waters and at >200 m depth indicate little to no feeding during their ontogenetic migration to deeper, low-oxygen waters.