Influence ofNoctiluca's predation on theAcartia population in Ise Bay,central Japan

The influence ofNoctiluca's predation on theAcartia population in Ise Bay was examined by taking samples at 27 stations once a month from May to December, 1974.The copepod eggs were found inNoctiluca mainly in May and June. Considering from various spawning types of copepods, the eggs were presumed to beAcartia, the most numerous species of all copepods in the bay.Noctiluca was dominant plankton in May and June whenAcartia was abundantly distributed.Acartia eggs were found in 33.2–39.3% of individuals ofNoctiluca in May and June.Noctiluca was more frequently observed to contain one egg ofAcartia per individual. It was suggested that 55.0 eggs perAcartia female per day were eaten by theNoctiluca population in May wherease 3.5 eggs in June. It was deduced that 74% of the eggs produced byAcartia was preyed on byNoctiluca (about 5% in June). The predation byNoctiluca as well as that by the sand-eel must influence greatly to the production ofAcartia in the bay.