Sensory capabilities and food capture of two small copepods, Paracalanus parvus and Pseudocalanus sp

• DOI: 10.4319/lo.2013.58.5.1657
• Publication Date: 2013-08-21T20:18:09Z
• Authors: Peter Tiselius; Enric Saiz; Thomas Kiørboe
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 14. Life underwater; 01 natural sciences

Detection, handling, and selection of prey are key features suspension‐feeding copepods. Using high‐speed video, we determined detection distances durations all elements the food gathering process in two small calanoid copepods, Paracalanus parvus Pseudocalanus sp. Animals were freely swimming presented with various phytoplankton species equivalent spherical diameters ranging from 7 µm to 33 µm. Prey occurred very close—within a few cell radii—to second antennae (53% cases) or maxilliped (42%). There was no effect size on distance, but larger caused significantly longer handling time. Post‐detection processing cells exceedingly fast. The time being placed at mouth lasted 35 ± 19 ms rejection unwanted 61 21 ms. Grooming antennules carapace intermittently 215–227 weak feeding current fast response copepods allowed ample for entrained distant olfaction observed. Modeled surface concentration cue chemicals show that only radius than ∼ 15 may be detected chemically much and/or leaky can distance. Copepods have elaborate techniques allow effective capture, there is evidence remote mediated sensing when algal up