The respiration of five brackish-water harpacticoid copepod species
Herman, P.M.J.; Heip, C.H.R. (1988). The respiration of five brackish-water harpacticoid copepod species, in: Heip, C.H.R. et al. (Ed.) Collected papers on meiofauna dynamics and energy flow. pp. 1-8 In: Heip, C.H.R. et al. (Ed.) (1988). Collected papers on meiofauna dynamics and energy flow. Delta Institute for Hydrobiological Research: Yerseke. , more |
| Keywords | Respiration
Copepoda [WoRMS]; Harpacticoida [WoRMS]
Brackish water |
| Abstract | The dependency of respiration rate on body weight at 20°C was determined for five meiobenthic copepods from a brackish-water habitat. The respiration rate of the four smaller species was generally high, = 10-14 nl O2.h-1.µg dry wt-1, but was much lower for larger species, Canuella perplexa T. & A. Scott 1893 (2-3 nl O2.h-1.µg1). This pattern is discussed in terms of the adaptive behaviour of the populations. The significance of respiration rates in the evolution of populations is illustrated by differences between the respiration rates of Belgian Tachidius discipes Giesbrecht 1882 population, and that of T. discipes from the Lynher estuary, UK. It is hypothesized that respiration rates will be lower when species are in competition for relatively stable food sources. |
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