Species-specific ecology of the carnivorous zooplankton Poecilostomatoida and Chaetognatha

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25450257
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aquatic bioproduction science
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: UEDA Hiroshi 高知大学, 教育研究部総合科学系黒潮圏科学部門, 教授 (00128472)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 肉食性動物プランクトン / ポエキロストム目カイアシ類 / オンケア科 / コリケウス科 / ヤムシ / 季節変化 / 鉛直分布

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study demonstrated community structures of Oncaeidae and Corycaeidae (Copepoda, Poecilostomatoida) and Chaetognatha, which are known as carnivorous zooplankton, and their species-specific seasonal abundances and vertical distributions, based on plankton samples in Tosa Bay, western Japan, from 2008 to 2014. Microscopic observation on living chaetognaths, however, revealed that they sometimes gulp water, which seemingly supports the hypothesis that chaetognaths feed primarily on DOM and POM. No significant correlations were found between carnivorous zooplankton, including the large carnivorous copepod Euchaetidae, and CPUE of the shirasu (larvae of anchovy and herring) fishery in Tosa Bay, suggesting that carnivorous net-zooplankton gives no effects on fishery resources.

Free Research Field

農学