• Ocean Science Journal
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.193-197
• /
• 2007

The food selectivity of tethered females of the copepod Calanus helgolandicus was examined by using the colorimetric approach. First, feeding behavior of the copepod did not show any differences between the red-color stained with neutral red and non-stained diets using the diatom Coscinodiscus curvatulus. Then, the copepods were fed a mixtures of two diets, the diatom C. curvatulus, stained with neutral red, and the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium sanguineum for $14\sim60$ minutes of feeding duration. The foregut colors of females were examined using a stereo-microscope and a video monitor. The foreguts of animals fed with a high density of diatoms in mixed diets showed a dark red color, whereas those fed with a high density of dinoflagellate in mixed diets were a dark yellow. The results suggest that this species of copepod may not selectively feed either one of the diets used for this study. Their feeding activity may be more likely related to the density of available prey in their environment. Therefore, this quick and easy colorimetric approach could provide very useful information, like the pre-screening procedure before designing and conducting the time-consuming and complex feeding experiments to understand the feeding ecology of copepods.

• 한국해양학회지
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.33-45
• /
• 1973

Plankton samples used for the present study were collected by the NORPAC net during the CSK cruises in the Korean waters in March and August, 1967. Regional and seasonal variations in the zooplankton biomass (wet weight, mg/㎥) were noticed in the Korean waters. In March the highest biomass, 130mg/㎥ on the average, occurred in the southern part of Japan Sea, but the lowest biomass of less than 50mg/㎥ occurred in the Yellow Sea and the western sea of Cheju Island Contrally, in August, the average biomass of 120mg/㎥ was measured in the Yellow Sea, the western sea of Cheju Island and the coastal waters of southern Korea, while the biomass of Japan Sea was the lowest of the regions surveyed. In comparison with the zooplankton biomass, total number of zooplankton per cubic meter of water strained also showed regional and seasonal fluctuations. In general, variations in the number of zooplankton specimens follows the same trend as in the biomass. The largest number, up to 800mg/㎥ on the average, occurred in the southern part of Japan Sea in March and the lowest number, less than 200mg/㎥ occurred in the Yellow Sea and the western sea of Cheju Island. In August, as shown by the biomass fluctuations, the largest number of zooplankton 850mg/㎥ on the average occurred in the Yellow Sea, the western sea of Cheju Island and the coastal region of southern Korea. But the lowest number of less than 500mg/㎥ was found in the Japan Sea. Among the various groups of zooplankton examined, the following were dominant components of the zooplankton population: Copepoda, Chaetognatha, Siphonophora, Euphausiacea, Cladocera, Appendicularia, and Amphipoda. The zooplankton conposition was significantly differed between the Japan Sea and Yellow Sea. Copepods which usually occupied over 66% in the Japan Sea and thd Korean Strait samples occupied only 42% of the catches in August, while cladocerans and chaetognaths were relatively abundant, i. e., 15 and 18% of the total organisms. The most dominant species of copepods and chaetognaths were Paracalanus parvus, Oithona similis, Acartia clausi, Calanus helgolandicus, Sagitta enflata, S. bedoti, S. elegans and S. crassa.