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
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.