ABSTRACT: Gut clearance rate-temperature relationships were determined in laboratory conditions, with food in excess, and in the field to assess possible food limitation situations for 2 estuarine copepods, Eurytemora affinis and Acartia bifilosa. From the comparison of these relationships, it appeared that A. bifilosa was food limited whereas E. affinis was not. The gut clearance rate-temperature regressions obtained with nonsaturating food were not significantly different from the one obtained by Dam & Peterson (J exp mar Biol Ecol 123:1-14, 1988) for several copepod species. Consequently, we conclude that this regression can be employed as reference.

KEY WORDS: Temperature . Food limitation . Estuarine copepods . Gut clearance rate . Turbidity zone

Published in MEPS Vol. 131 (1996) on February 8
ISSN: 0171-8630. Copyright © Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe, 1996