Behavioural effects of biofouling in a marine copepod

The impact of biofouling by the filamentous bacteria Leucothrix mucor upon the body density and swimming behaviour of the harpacticoid copepod Tigriop us brevicornis was investigated. Biofouled individuals had a greater body d ensity than nonfouled individuals. Biofouled and non-fouled animals swam si milar distances and for similar periods of time during trials? but biofoule d animals engaged in fewer, but longer bouts of swimming per trial and as a result experienced a lower swimming rate. These observations imply that bi ofouling has significant implications for the behavioural ecology of T. bre vicornis.