Zooplankton Feeding Ecology: Contents of Fecal Pellets of the Copepod Undinula vulgaris from Continental Shelf Waters of the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract. The in situ diet of the copepod Undinula vulgaris was examined by comparing contents of fecal pellets produced on natural food with assemblages of available phytoplankton. Samples were collected in continental shelf waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. U. vulgaris was an indiscrimi-nant suspension feeder, ingesting a broad size, shape, and taxonomic array of phytoplankters. Contents of fecal pellets generally matched those of available phytoplankton assemblages. The presence within the same fecal pellets of remains of microplankters ranging over two orders of magnitude in longest dimension suggests that feeding is nonselective, and that U. vulgaris may rapidly switch between several modes of feeding.     

Short-Term and Small-Scale Variation in Food Availability to Natural Oyster Populations: Food, Flow and Flux

Abstract. Food resources and water flow speeds vary on short-temporal and small-spatial scales important to feeding in natural populations of oysters (Crassostrea virginica). To better describe food availability to the oyster population, micro-current meters were used to measure flow 1–3 cm above the bottom and frequent water sampling was used to determine the quantity and composition of the seston on Confederate Reef, Galveston Bay, Texas. The quantity and quality of food varied on time scales at least as short as 3 h and throughout the water column. Seston was high in detrital carbon, nitrogen poor, and had a high fraction of inorganic particles. The quantity of food at the bed was not predictable from samples taken near the surface. Water flow speeds were also highly variable. Whereas rapid flow speeds were measured, flow speed tended to cluster about a narrower range of slower speeds resulting in the mean speed being much higher than the median. Fluxes of food calculated from the quantity of food and water flow speeds were low and highly variable. Under most conditions, water flow speed was more important than food quantity in determining flux. Rapid flow rates could overcome low food quantity to result in relatively high fluxes, whereas slow flow resulted in small fluxes even if food was abundant. Changes in water flow rate associated with tidal changes and changes in speed are probably the primary agents controlling food availability on a daily basis. Decreased wind speed at night normally reduced flux in the early morning hours, for example. These results stress the importance of measuring food quantity and water flow speed on spatial and temporal scales important to oyster feeding. Model simulations of oyster populations at varying densities, flow rates and clump heights across the range of measured values show that flow rate is insufficient during most hours of the day and days of the year to prevent oysters from locally reducing food supply by their filtering efforts. Thus flow rate probably limits population density and adult size on Confederate Reef.     

低盐度对方斑东风螺摄食与生长的影响

方斑东风螺的适宜盐度在21以上，适应盐度下限应为15．在21～33的盐度范围内，小水体的实验条件下，平均体重0．27g、平均壳长11．2mm的方斑东风螺．投喂小管枪乌贼，日平均掇食率10．2％～11．6％，体重日均生长11．3～12．0mg，壳长日均生长123．1～141．91μm，盐度逐渐降至15时，方斑东风螺的摄食率和生长速度都明显下降．把近岸自然海水的盐度29作为盐度瞬间下降或上升的起点和终点．当盐度从29瞬间下降时，不影响其摄食和生长的最低终点盐度应高于21．当盐度瞬间上升至29时，不影响其摄食和生长的最低起点盐度应高于18．     

舟山海区几种藤壶的食性分析

舟山海区五种藤壶的食性成分分析表明：其胃含物可分为浮游动物、浮游植物、有机碎屑及无机颗粒四类。浮游动物以挠足类为主，浮游植物以硅藻为主。不同大小个体的藤壶摄食偏向有所差别：大个体藤壶较多地摄食大型的烧足类等浮游动物，而小个体藤壶较多地摄食小型的硅藻等浮游植物和有机碎屑。藤壶食物成分种类与其生活海区中的浮游生物种类相一致，并随海区中浮游生物种类和数量变化而变化。通过测定发现，分布于外海的三角藤壶的食物颗粒度明显大于近海虾塘中的纹藤壶的食物颗粒度。     

合浦珠母贝幼虫、幼苗的摄食率和摄食节律研究

1994年9月至1995年12月在中国科学院南海海洋研究所大亚湾海洋生物综合实验站展开合浦珠母贝PinctadamartensiiDunker幼虫和幼苗摄食率和摄食节律的研究。通过对该贝幼虫和幼苗摄食率与生物饵料浓度的关系的模拟分析，得到了二次多项式方程：FR=α＋βC－γC2。在该方程中建立了生产性育苗时的生物饵料藻最适投喂浓度（Copt），C0pt=-β/2γ。在最适饵料藻投喂浓度的条件下，幼虫和幼苗摄食率最大。当饵料藻投喂浓度低于Copt时，摄食率是线性快速增长，当饵料藻投喂浓度高于Copt时，摄食率呈下降趋势。合浦珠母贝幼虫和幼苗摄食节律的特点是摄食率在夜间和白天差别不明显。因此，Copt的建立以及对该贝幼虫和幼苗摄食节律的特点的认识，对于大规模生产育苗具有重要的指导意义。     

Effect of UV-B radiation on the feeding behavior of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

Effect of UV-B radiation on the feeding behaviour of marine zooplankton is important to assessing the health harm of marine ecosystem due to the gradually enhanced UV-B radiation in air. However, there are a few studies on this topic. The feeding behavior of the rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, under the treatment of UV-B radiation on five species of microalgae, i.e., Chlorella sp., Tetraselmis chuii, Isochrysis galbana Park 8701, Chaetoceros muelleri Lermumerman, and Nitzschia clostertum, was studied. The results showed that the filtering and feeding rates of the rotifer decreased significantly with the dose increase of UV-B radiation when fed with five species of microalgae respectively (P<0.05) which indicates UV-B radiation inhibits the feeding activities of the rotifer on microalage. The mixed culture experiments shows the rotifer preferred to feed Chlorella sp., then C. muelleri,I. galbana, N. clostertum and T. chuii in turn if without UV-B radiation. Under the highest dose of UV-B radiation treatment (2.70 kJ/m2), the rotifer preferred to feed C. muelleri, then Chlorella sp., N. clostertum, I. galbana and T. chuii in turn. Chlorella sp., I. galbana and C. muelleri became the more favorite foods of the rotifer while T. chuii and N. clostertum became less favorite foods. The change of feeding rate and feeding selectivity of zooplankton driven by the enhanced UV-B radiation will lead to the change in the structure of phytoplankton community.     

Life Strategies in Two Bacterivorous Marine Nematodes: Preliminary Results

Abstract. Temperature dependence of sex ratio and maximal densities of the estuarine, deposit-feeding nematodes Pellioditis marina (Rhabditidae ) and Diplolaimelloides meyli (Monhysreridae ) were investigated in vitro . Both species are characteristic for organically enriched habitats. Data from competition culture experiments with both species are integrated with information from respiration measurements at different temperatures, and from observations on the influence of temperature and bacterial density on uptake rates.
Sex ratio was significantly influenced by temperature in both species, with the highest relative numbers of males at the highest temperatures. Total numbers attained fluctuated only moderately in the 10 to 20 °C interval, but increased and decreased highly significantly at 25 °C for D. meyli and P. marina , respectively.
Respiration at temperatures from 5 °C to 30 °C was measured with nematodes from monospecific cultures using a modified Clark electrode procedure. Respiration was dependent upon temperature in the entire range for P. marina , but not for D. meyli , where only at 25 °C a clear respiratory acceleration was observed.
Feeding experiments with P. marina showed a dominant influence of bacterial density on uptake rates, with a lower but still significant temperature effect.
These data are discussed in relation to the overall life strategies of both species.     

The Activity Rhythm of Blennius sanguinolentus Pallas*

Abstract. In the field, feeding activity of the algivorous Blennius sanguinolentus increased remarkably from morning to late afternoon. Swimming is evenly distributed; other behaviour does not fall into regular daily patterns. No association was found, save in extreme values, between the distribution of any activity and environmental factors measured simultaneously. We suggest that the feeding cycle is an adaptation to the metabolic properties of green algae, the staple diet of B. sanguinolentus. Activity distributions following predictable short-term fluctuations in food quality are expected to be found in other animals.