PREDATION UPON LARVAE OF THE PACIFIC SARDINE SARDINOPS-SAGAX BY CYCLOPOID COPEPODS

Citation
Rp. Garcia et Rv. Alejandre, PREDATION UPON LARVAE OF THE PACIFIC SARDINE SARDINOPS-SAGAX BY CYCLOPOID COPEPODS, Journal of crustacean biology, 15(1), 1995, pp. 196-201
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Marine & Freshwater Biology
ISSN journal
02780372
Volume
15
Issue
1
Year of publication
1995
Pages
196 - 201
Database
ISI
SICI code
0278-0372(1995)15:1<196:PULOTP>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
Analysis of the zooplanktonic community during a diurnal cycle of samp ling at the entrance of Magdalena Bay, during the period of highest re productive activity of the Pacific sardine Sardinops sagax, showed the presence of 80 zooplanktonic taxa of which only the copepods Corycaeu s truckicus and C. japonicus were observed attacking sardine larvae; p redation upon eggs was not observed. Most attacks were observed during the early evening and were associated with a high larval abundance, a nd occurred mostly on larvae less than 7.5 mm standard length (SL). Th ese findings support the hypothesis that marine carnivorous copepods a ccount for mortality of small fish larvae to a high degree.