We investigated the juvenile development of the calanoid copepod Acrocalanus gracilis in the Timor Sea. The development was characterised by the calculation of stage-specific duration, median development time, moulting period duration, moult and growth rates. The morphometry of the experimental and wild populations were compared. Food concentrations in the experiment were lower than those in the field, and resulted in smaller animals than those in the field. Somatic growth (0.44 day–1) was log-linear throughout the development, but moulting rates slowed with time. The development of A. gracilis was similar to other paracalanids, and conforms to the equiproportional model. Trophic resources seem to play an important role in controlling the developmental features and morphometry of Acrocalanus in tropical environments.
Citation
Gusmão, L.F.M & McKinnon, A.D. 2009. Acrocalanus gracilis (Copepoda: Calanoida) development and production in the Timor Sea. Journal of Plankton Research; 31(9):1089-1100; doi:10.1093/plankt/fbp047
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