Ga. Paffenhofer et al., MOTION BEHAVIOR OF NAUPLII AND EARLY COPEPODID STAGES OF MARINE PLANKTONIC COPEPODS, Journal of plankton research, 18(9), 1996, pp. 1699-1715
The goal of this study was to quantify periods of activity and velocit
ies of late naupliar and early copepodid stages of planktonic copepods
occurring regularly on the southeastern continental shelf of the USA.
We obtained quantitative information on eight species, including adul
t females of Oithona plumifera. All studies were conducted at food con
centrations near or above satiation levels. Activities ranged from 0.8
5% (adult females of O.plumifera) to 100% of time (nauplii and copepod
ids of various calanoid species). Motion velocities (excluding escape
motion) covered more than one order of magnitude: from 0.39 mm s(-1) f
or nauplii of Temora stylifera to 5.24 mm s(-1) for nauplii of Oncaea
mediterranea. Ranges of activities of species range from occasional fo
r early juveniles to adult females of O.plumifera to 100% for the same
range of T.stylifera, the latter creating a feeding current from N II
I onwards the former not at all. Of notable interest is Centropages ve
lificatus which moves intermittently as a late nauplius, continuously
as an early copepodid and intermittently as an adult. All observed cal
anoid late nauplii and copepodids move in three dimensions, excluding
copepodids of the shelfbreak/oceanic Paracalanus aculeatus. The result
s indicate not only significant differences in motion behavior between
cyclopoids and calanoids, but also between calanoid species. Yet, som
e calanoid species show little ontogenetic changes at all.