The Cultivation of Calanojdes Carinatus Krøyer (Copepoda: Calanoida) under Different Temperature and Food Conditions-with a Description of Eggs and Nauplii

Abstract

According to its mouthparts Calanoides carinatus is a herbivorous filter-feeder (Mensah, 1974a; Schnack, 1978) that is often associated with phytoplankton blooms. The species has been reported from the three oceans and the Mediterranean (Vervoort, 1946). Interest in this copepod is increasing due to its apparent importance as a dominant link between phytoplankton and fish in upwelling areas. Its presence in surface waters is regarded as an indication for upwelled water (Bainbridge, 1972; Binet, 1973). Population dynamics and life-cycle have been studied best on the West African shelf (Mensah, 1974b; Binet & Suisse St Claire, 1975; Petit & Courties, 1976; Binet, 1977). Courties (1978) has recently given a comprehensive review of the literature on C. carinatus. In the above-mentioned studies, generation time usually is estimated by measuring successive peaks of larval stages and adults as well as using sex ratio and length distribution. In spite of its importance, C. carinatus has not yet been successfully reared in the labora-tory. Tomasini & Petit (1977) determined experimentally the developmental time of eggs and some copepodite stages, but could not obtain all stages. Schnack (1978) studied the feeding behaviour in feeding and assimilation experiments using various species of algae on board ship.