scholarly journals Reassessment of the gut pigment method for estimating in situ zooplankton ingestion

2007 ◽  
pp. 305-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward G. Durbin ◽  
Robert G. Campbell

Correction for chlorophyll pigment destruction has been frequently used in calculation of copepod ingestion rates using the gut pigment method. We argue that tracers in the gut may be either digested and assimilated, or evacuated, and that both processes are taken into account when an evacuation (disappearance) rate curve is determined. As a result, any correction for gut pigment destruction in calculating ingestion rate is inappropriate.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wang Pengpeng ◽  
Zhang Fang ◽  
Guo Dongjie ◽  
Sun Song

The benthic scyphopolyp population is an important stage in the scyphozoan lifecycle. Nevertheless, few studies have detailed the natural feeding and quantified the energy flux of polyps based on field research. To better understand the scyphopolyp natural diet and seasonal variation patterns in the ingestion rate, in situ feeding experiments were conducted on Aurelia coerulea polyps in Jiaozhou Bay, China from August 2018 to April 2019. The diet of A. coerulea polyps was determined by gut content analysis. Digestion rates were also measured. Ingestion rates, based on the gut contents and digestion rates, were assessed monthly. Copepods, copepod nauplii, and ciliates were identified in the guts of A. coerulea polyps. Copepods with the bulk of total prey intake in number are an important source of nutrition for A. coerulea polyps in Jiaozhou Bay. Prey capture of A. coerulea polyps (prey polyp–1) varied among months, and was highly dependent upon the abundance of planktonic prey in the habitat. Copepods and copepod nauplii were digested more rapidly as temperature increased. Carbon weight-specific ingestion rate exhibited an obvious seasonal change, with the mean value of 0.13 ± 0.12 μg C μg C–1 d–1. More rapid digestion of prey at higher temperatures and larger prey availability would cause a higher ingestion rate in polyps. Scyphopolyps are widely distributed predators in littoral ecosystems and they may play an important role in plankton–benthos coupling by transferring energy from the water column to the benthos. Massive scyphopolyps blooms may influence pelagic ecosystems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanli Lei ◽  
Chengchun Li ◽  
Tiegang Li ◽  
Zhimin Jian

Abstract The majority of sediment-dwelling foraminifera are thought to be deposit feeders. They use their reticulopodia to gather sediment with associated algae, organic detritus, and bacteria. Uptake of diatoms by foraminifera have been observed but rarely quantified. We measured the clearance (gathering) rate and ingestion rate of diatoms by the common benthic foraminifer Quinqueloculina seminula using Nitzschia closterium as prey under laboratory culture conditions. Grazing experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of temperature (at 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24°C) and food availability (10 to 800 cells mm−2) on uptake rates of diatoms. The clearance rates, estimated from the disappearance of food items, were variable (0.59–4.4 mm2 foram−1 h−1) and did not show a clear relationship with food availability. The maximum clearance rates increased from 1.80 ± 0.21 to 2.69 ± 0.32 mm2 foram−1 h−1 when temperature increased from 12 to 18°C and decreased to 2.28 ± 0.25 mm2 foram−1 h−1 at 24°C. Ingestion rates varied from 1.0 to 43 × 103 diatoms foram−1 h−1, following a hyperbolic response to food concentrations at all experimental temperatures. The maximum individual ingestion rates increased from 842 ± 180 to 1648 ± 480 (mean ± SE) cells foram−1 h−1 and then decreased to 316 ± 54 cells foram−1 h−1 as temperature increased from 12 to 24°C. Experimental results revealed that 12–18°C was the optimal temperature range for Q. seminula feeding for specimens adapted to local conditions. Our study indicates that Q. seminula plays an ecological role by feeding upon benthic diatoms in marine benthic ecosystems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Ah Park ◽  
Hae Jin Jeong ◽  
Jin Hee Ok ◽  
Hee Chang Kang ◽  
Ji Hyun You ◽  
...  

The newly described dinoflagellate, Shimiella gracilenta, is known to survive for approximately 1 month on the plastids of ingested prey cells during starvation, indicating kleptoplastidy. To understand the population dynamics of this dinoflagellate in marine planktonic food webs, its growth and mortality rate due to predation should be assessed. Thus, we investigated the feeding occurrence of eight common heterotrophic protists on S. gracilenta. We also determined the growth and ingestion rates of Oxyrrhis marina and the naked ciliate, Rimostrombidium sp. on S. gracilenta as a function of the prey concentration. The common heterotrophic dinoflagellates (HTDs) Gyrodinium dominans, O. marina, and Pfiesteria piscicida and a naked ciliate Rimostrombidium sp. were able to feed on S. gracilenta; whereas the HTDs Aduncodinium glandula, Gyrodinium jinhaense, Oblea rotunda, and Polykrikos kofoidii were not. Shimiella gracilenta supported positive growth of O. marina and Rimostrombidium sp. but did not support that of G. dominans and P. piscicida. With increasing prey concentrations, the growth and ingestion rates of O. marina and Rimostrombidium sp. on S. gracilenta increased and became saturated. The maximum growth rates of O. marina and Rimostrombidium sp. on S. gracilenta were 0.645 and 0.903 day−1, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum ingestion rates of O. marina and Rimostrombidium sp. on S. gracilenta were 0.11 ng C predator day−1 (1.6 cells predator−1 day−1) and 35 ng C predator day−1 (500 cells predator−1 day−1), respectively. The maximum ingestion rate of O. marina on S. gracilenta was lower than that on any other algal prey reported to date, although its maximum growth rate was moderate. In conclusion, S. gracilenta had only a few common heterotrophic protist predators but could support moderate growth rates of the predators. Thus, S. gracilenta may not be a common prey species for diverse heterotrophic protists but may be a suitable prey for a few heterotrophic protists.


2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayasree Loka ◽  
K.K. Philipose ◽  
S.M. Sonali

Effect of marine microalgal diet on filtration and ingestion rates of Brachionus plicatilis was studied. Marine microalgae viz., Nannochloropsis oculata, Isochrysis galbana, Chaetoceros calcitrans and a combination of N. oculata and I. galbana (Nanno+Iso) at different cell concentrations were selected for the experiment and triplicates were maintained for each feed. Significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in the filtration and ingestion rates of B. plicatilis, between the treatments. Peak filtration rate of 12.2x10-5 cells ml-1 ind-1 min-1 was recorded in B. plicatilis fed with Nanno+Iso, followed by I. galbana. Ingestion rate was found to be significantly high (p<0.05) for those fed with C. calcitrans, followed by Nanno+Iso. Filtration rate was significantly high (p<0.05) in rotifers stocked at an initial density of 50 nos. ml-1 fed with Nanno+Iso. The results indicated that a combination of Nanno and Iso is the best suitable microalgal diet for rotifer with peak filtration (12.2x10-5cells ml-1 ind-1 min-1) and ingestion (5.4x10-3 cells ml-1 ind-1 min-1) rates during the first 60 min.


2006 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-224
Author(s):  
Hajime IEKI ◽  
Osamu ENISHI ◽  
Kazuki NAKASHIMA ◽  
Yasuhiko MURAKAMI ◽  
Mao SAYEKI ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moreen Uwimbabazi ◽  
Richard W Wrangham ◽  
Zarin P Machanda ◽  
Nancy L Conklin-Brittain ◽  
Jessica M Rothman ◽  
...  

Different food items can provide calories at different rates, yet nutritional studies of primates are generally based on the proportion of time spent eating different foods. Accordingly, estimates of energy intake are potentially wrong. To assess the importance of this problem we observed 15 female chimpanzees from the Kanyawara chimpanzee community in Kibale National Park, Uganda for 15 months. Feeding rates were recorded and nutritional analyses assembled for 90 food types. Across all foods the mean estimated rate of energy ingestion was 8.8±7.6 Kcals/min. Energy ingestion rates varied among food types (F8,82,=2.24, p<0.05), being higher for ripe fruits (12.2±8.7Kcals/min) than for young leaves (7.8±7.9Kcals/min), piths (6.0±5.2Kcals/min) or seeds (2.8±1.9Kcals/min). Energy ingestion rates estimated assuming high %NDF fermentation (54.3%) were significantly higher than the rates at zero (0%) fermentation (t=6.14, p<0.01). At 54.3% NDF fermentation, estimated energy ingestion rate rose by 20.5% for ripe fruits (9.7 to 12.2 Kcals/min), and by 39.7% for young leaves (4.7 to 7.8Kcals/min). Chimpanzees spent a mean of 304±80 minutes feeding daily, indicating that daily energy intake averaged to 3029 ±1198Kcal. When chimpanzees spent >60% of feeding time on ripe fruits (N=79 days), the average energy intake (3367Kcal) was significantly higher than when they spent >60% of feeding time on herbaceous vegetation (2409Kcal, N=37 days) (F1,114=12.68, p<0.01). Our results highlight the value of using feeding rates to understand chimpanzee nutrition, and suggest that seasonal fluctuation in nutrient intake is more pronounced than indicated by variation in feeding time.


1991 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeriano Rodriguez ◽  
Fidel Echevarria ◽  
Begoña Bautista

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