Studies on a Calanus Patch III. The quantity of food eaten by Calanus finmarchicus

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to assess the grazing capacity of Calanus finmar-chicus (Gunner.) in terms of the quantity of food eaten in the sea. The part played in the growth of the animal by the quantity eaten will only be briefly discussed. The parts played by nutrient lack, sinking and diffusion on the algal productive rates will also be discussed, leading to the conclusion that grazing mortality is the most effective controlling agent on algal production.A subsidiary purpose of this paper is to relate changes in the weight of Calanus finmarchicus to changes in food consumed and to changes in water temperature. Measurements of C. finmarchicus have been made by a number of workers (Adler & Jespersen, 1920; Russell, 1928; Marshall, 1933; Stormer, 1929; Bogorov, 1934; Jespersen, 1939; Clarke & Zinn, 1937). It will be shown that in the North Sea, in spring, the greatest changes in weight are most readily related to changes in quantities of food consumed.