Effect of Turbidity on Semi-Automatic Analysis of Copepod Size and Abundance Distribution in the Water Column

Automated image systems to characterize aquatic organisms improve research and enable fast response to environmental risk situations. In November 2015, a dam in Mariana City-MG (Brazil) collapsed and led to the disposal of mud tailings from the mining process to the Doce River. The accident resulted in several casualties and incalculable damage to surrounding communities and the environment. The mud increased water turbidity, an essential condition to the functioning of the image analysis systems, and directly affected the characterization of the organisms, making it impossible to distinguish copepods in the mud, due to the blurred outline. To get a quick response evaluating environmental situations, this work aimed to develop and test different algorithms characterizing and classifying copepods by their size (length and area) using in situ images acquired by the Lightframe On-Sight Keyspecies Investigation device. Field tests were carried out under different turbidity levels throughout the gradient observed in the coastal zone adjacent to the Doce River. The best algorithm reduced nearly 50% of the noise in some images when compared with manual treatment and led to 96% accuracy in measurement and counting. Semi-automated devices that perform post-processing corrections are suitable for fast environmental evaluation under high turbidity scenarios.

Molecular quantification of copepod Acartia erythraea feeding on different algae preys

Quantitative evaluation of the copepod feeding process is critical for understanding the functioning of marine food webs, as this provides a major link between primary producers and higher trophic levels. In this study, a molecular protocol based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) targeting 18S rDNA was developed and used to investigate the feeding and digestion rates of the copepod Acartia erythraea in a laboratory experiment using microalgae Thalassiosira weissflogii, Prorocentrum shikokuense, and Alexandrium catenella as prey. Although offered an equal encounter rate based on biovolume, prey uptake varied substantially among the three algal species, with the ingestion rate(IR) and digestion rate(DR) of A. erythraea differing significantly(P <0.001) based on both cell counting and qPCR detection. Acartia erythraea showed the highest IR(2.79×10~4 cells/(ind.·h)) and DR(2.43×10~4 cells/(ind.·h)) on T. weissflogii, and the lowest amounts of ingested P. shikokuense were detected. The highest assimilation rate(~90.64%, IR/DR) was observed in copepods fed with P. shikokuense. The qPCR method used here can help determine the digestion rate and assimilation rate of copepods by detecting cells remaining in the gut hence providing the possibility to examine trophic links involving key species in the marine ecosystem. Our results indicate that A. erythraea has diet-specific feeding performance in different processes, and a quantitative assessment of copepod feeding is needed to accurately determine its functional role in the energy and matter uptake from marine food webs.

Seasonal change in body length of important small copepods and relationship with environmental factors in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Differences among species in prosome length and in species' response to environmental factors do exist. Therefore, it is useful to examine prosome length for different copepod species in variable environments. Seasonal variations in prosome length of four small copepods and their copepodite stages in the Jiaozhou Bay were compared and the relative influence of temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll concentration were examined. Two peaks were found in the mean prosome length of Paracalanus parvus (in early winter and May). For Acartia bifilosa, the maximum values of all copepodites occurred mainly from February to April, and decreased to the bottom in July. Prosome length of Acartia pacifica peaked when it first appeared in June, then reached to the minimum in July. Parvocalanus crassirostris only appeared from late summer to autumn and the mean prosome length showed no clear changes. Correlations of adult prosome length with environmental factors were evaluated. For the four species, temperature was negatively correlated to prosome length except for P. crassirostris. But the different species varied markedly in their responds to temperature. A. bifilosa showed a more definite trend of size variation with temperature than P. parvus and A. pacifica. Correlations of prosome length with salinity were significantly positive for almost all the small copepods. The relationship between chlorophyll concentration and prosome length was complicated for these copepods, but for P. parvus, chlorophyll concentration was also an important affecting factor. Furthermore, investigation needs to be done on food quality for some copepod. These results are essential to estimate the biomass and the production, and to understand these small copepods' population dynamics in this human-affected bay.

Molecular phylogeography and population genetic structure of the planktonic copepod Calanus sinicus Brodsky in the coastal waters of China

Planktonic copepod Calanus sinicus is the dominant meso-zooplankton in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. To better understand its population dynamics and phylogeographic patterns, 243 C. sinicus individuals were collected from seven locations across the shelf waters of China and its population genetics was studied by mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I（mtCOI） sequences analyses. Thirty-nine different sequences, or haplotypes, were detected with moderate haplotype diversity（h=0.749） and low nucleotide diversity（π=0.003） for all populations. The evolutionary divergence between geographic populations varied from 0.24% to 0.37%, indicative of very limited genetic differentiation. Visualized minimum spanning network（MSN） and phylogenetic analysis of all the detected haplotypes did not reveal any clear phylogeographic pattern. Furthermore, AMOVA data showed no significant spatial population differentiation existed among the individuals collected across China shelf waters. Pairwise FST values showed that population collected from northwest of the East China Sea（ECS） displayed a low difference to other populations. Mismatch distribution analyses and neutrality tests indicated that C. sinicus might undergo a demographic/population expansion. No significant population genetic structuring was detected, indicating an extensive gene flow among the C. sinicus populations. Our results provide molecular evidence for the hypothesis that C. sinicus in the northwestern South China Sea in winter is transported from the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea by the China Coastal Current during the northeast monsoon period.

DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF PARACALANUS PARVUS, PARACALANUS CRASSIROSTRIS, AND ACARTIA BIFILOSA (COPEPODA, CALANOIDA) IN THE BOHAI SEA

Paracalanus parvus, Paracalanus crassirostris , and Acartia bifilosa are dominant and widely distributed in the Bohai Sea, and comprise an important part of zooplankton in terms of biomass as well as production rate. In order to understand their seasonal distribution and population dynamics, their stage specific abundance in different months of the year were analyzed based on the never analyzed yet samples collected in 1959. The three species showed clear and remarkable seasonal variation in abundance, which maximized in spring and summer, when they formed high biomass patches or concentrations in the nearshore area. For Paracalanus parvus , two peaks were observed in the annual circle, one in June and the other in September. For Paracalanus crassirostris , one peak occurred in summer and a small one in December. The seasonal pattern of Acartia bifilosa was different in different regions. In Bohai Bay it had a two peak pattern, with the first large peak occurring in May and the second one in October. In Laizhou Bay, a winter peak in December and January could be observed besides the spring one. The number of generations during the reproductive season for the three species was estimated based on the annual cycle in abundance and ambient temperature.

Impacts of CO_2-driven seawater acidification on survival,egg production rate and hatching success of four marine copepods

Ecological experiments were conducted to examine the effects of seawater containing elevated par- tial pressure of carbon dioxide （p CO2 800 × 10 -6 , 2 000 × 10 -6 , 5 000 × 10 -6 and 10 000 × 10 -6 ） on the survival and reproduction of female Acartia pacifica, Acartia spinicauda, Calanus sinicus and Centropages tenuiremis, which are the dominant copepods in the southern coastal waters of China. The results show that the effects of elevated p CO2 on the survival rates of copepods were species-specific. C. sinicus, which was a macro-copepod, had a higher survival rate （62.01%–71.96%） than the other three species （5.00%–26.67%） during the eight day exposure. The egg production rates of C. sinicus, A. spinicauda and C. tenuiremis were significantly inhibited by the increased p CO2 and the exposure time duration. There were significantly negative impacts on the egg hatching success of A. spinicauda and C. tenuiremis in the p CO2 2 000 × 10 -6 and 10 000 × 10 -6 groups, and, in addition, the exposure time had noticeably impacts on these rates too. This study indicates that the reproductive performances of copepods were sensitive to elevated p CO2 , and that the response of different copepod species to acidified seawater was different. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of seawater acidification and climate change or other pollutant stresses on organisms should be given more attention.

Comparison of Copepod Collection Efficiencies by Three Commonly Used Plankton Nets: A Case Study in Bohai Sea, China

Abstract Selection of net with a suitable mesh size is a key concern in the quantitative assessment of zooplankton, which is cru- cial to understand pelagic ecosystem processes. This study compared the copepod collecting efficiency of three commonly used plankton nets, namely, the China standard coarse net （505 gm mesh）, the China standard fine net （77 gin）, and the WP-2 net （200 μm） The experiment was performed at six stations in the Bohai Sea during the autumn of 2012. The coarse net substantially un- der-sampled small individuals （body widths 〈 672 gm） and led to the lowest species number in each tow, whereas the fine net col- lected all small copepod species but failed to collect rare species. The WP-2 net appeared to be a compromise of the two other nets, collecting both small copepods and rare species. The abundance of copepods collected by the coarse net （126.4±86.5 indm-3） was one to two orders of magnitude lower than that by the WP-2 net （5802.4 ± 2595.4 indm3）, and the value of the fine net （11117.0±4563.41 indm-3） was nearly twice that of the WP-2 net. The abundance of large copepods （i.e., adult Calanus sinicus） in the three nets showed no significant differences, but the abundance of small copepods declined with decreasing mesh size. The dif- ference in abundance resulted from the under-sampling of small copepods with body widths 〈 672 μm and 〈 266μm by the coarse and WP-2 nets, respectively.

Study on biological oceanography charateristics of planktonic copepods in waters north of Taiwan Ⅱ. Community characteristics

The Paper is the succession of the study on abundance distribution of planktonic copepods in the waters north of Taiwan, and the emphasis is laid on the analysis and discussion of the constructions and features of copepod community and the relationships with water environment. The results show as follows: a total of 237 species were identified and the construction of communtity was complex. The percentage of annual present species was only 32%. The mean values of diversity and homogeneity of the copepod community were 3. 714 and 0. 690 respectively, and their horizontal distribution patterns were higher in outshore area than in nearshore area. The copepods of the area could be divided into five ectotypes. Warm-water outshore high temperature and lower saline group and tropic oceanic high temperature and saline group could indicate the seasonal changes of the Taiwan Strait water and the Kuroshio surface water respectively. According to the various aspects of calculation and analysis, winter was different from other three seasons in environmental conditions. In spring, summer and autumn, Undinula valgaris was the meat dominant species and salinity was the main factor that affected the community feature values. The communities in the three seasons had the subtropic-tropic characteristics in which warm-water outshore species were dominant and tropic oceanic species accounted for also certain proportion. While in winter, the dominant species was Euchaeta manna and temperature was the main factor influencing the community feture values. The community had the tropic oceanic characteristics in which tropic oceanic species were dominant.

Optimal salinity for dominant copepods in the East China Sea, determined using a yield density model

From 1997 to 2000, four field surveys were conducted in the East China Sea （ECS） （23°30＇-33°00＇N, 118°30＇-128°00＇E）. A field data yield density model was used to determine the optimal salinities for 19 dominant copepod species to establish the relationship between surface salinities and abundance of those species. In addition, ecological groups of the copepods were classified based on optimal salinity and geographical distribution. The results indicate that the yield density model is suitable for determining the relationship between salinity and abundance. Cosmocalanus darwini, Euchaeta rimana, Pleuromamma gracilis, Rhincalanus cornutus, Scolecithrix danae and Pareucalanus attenuatus were determined as oceanic species, with optimal salinities of 〉34.0. They were stenohaline and mainly distributed in waters influenced by the Kuroshio or Taiwan warm current. Temora discaudata, T. stylifera and Canthocalanus pauper were nearshore species with optimal salinities of 〈33.0 and most abundant in coastal waters. The remaining 10 species, including Undinula vulgaris and Subeucalanus suberassus, were offshore species, with optimal salinity ranging from 33.0-34.0. They were widely distributed in nearshore, offshore and oceanic waters but mainly in the mixed water of the ECS.

Impacts of solar UV radiation on grazing, lipids oxidation and survival of Acartia pacif ica Steuer (Copepod)

UV radiation is known to affect aquatic primary producers and their grazers. However, little has been documented on its effects on zooplankton grazing. In this study, the authors investigated the effects of photosynthetically active radiation （PAR, 400–700 nm）, ultraviolet-A （UV-A, 320–400 nm） and ultraviolet-B （UV-B, 280–320 nm） radiation on grazing, mortality and lipids oxidation of the copepod Acartia pacifica collected from the Xiamen Bay. After 30 min of the exposures, the copepod was fed in darkness with the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum at two cell concentrations （2.5 × 10 4 and 2.5 × 10 5 cells/ml）. At the low cell concentration, the individuals pre-exposed to PAR （218.0 W/m 2 ）＋UV-A （48.2 W/m 2 ） or PAR＋UV-A＋UV-B （2.1 W/m 2 ） showed suppressed clearance and grazing activities compared with those receiving PAR alone, by 22.7% and 17.1% for clearance and by 22.6% and 5.5% for grazing rates, respectively. However, the suppression on clearance and grazing became indistinctive at the high food concentration. Exposures to UV-A and UV-B led to increased lipid oxidation and higher mortality, furthermore, the mortality linearly increased with enhanced oxidation of lipid.

Effects of Calanoid Copepod Schmackeria poplesia as a Live Food on the Growth, Survival and Fatty Acid Composition of Larvae and Juveniles of Japanese Flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus

Zooplankton constitutes a major part of the diet for fish larvae in the marine food web, and it is generally believed that copepods can meet the nutritional requirements of fish larvae. In this study, calanoid copepod Schmackeria poplesia, rotifer Brachionus plicatilis and anostraca crustacean Artemia sp. were analyzed for fatty acid contents, and were used as live food for cul- turing larval Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. The total content of three types of HUFAs （DHA, EPA and ARA） in S. po- plesia was significantly higher than that in the other two live foods （P〈O.O1）. Three live organisms were used for raising larvae and juveniles of Paralichthys olivaceus respectively for 15 and 10 d. Then the growth, survival and fatty acid composition of the larvae and juveniles were investigated. The results showed that the larvae and juveniles fed with copepods （S. poplesia） had significantly higher growth rate than those fed with the other two organisms （P〈0.01）. The survival of the flounder larvae fed with copepods was significantly higher than that of the others （P〈0.01）, and the survival of the juvenile fish fed with copepods was higher than that fed with Artemia （P〈0.05）. The contents of three types of HUFAs （DHA, EPA and ARA） and the ratio of DHA/EPA in larval and juve- nile flounder P. olivaceus were analyzed. The results showed that the contents of DHA, EPA and ARA in the larvae and juveniles fed with S. poplesia were higher than those fed with a mixed diet orArtemia only, and the ratio of EPA/ARA in larvae and juveniles of P. olivaceus fed with S. poplesia was lower than that in the case of feeding with a mixed diet or Artemia only. The present data showed that copepod is the best choice for feeding the larvae and juveniles of fish considering its effects on the survival, growth and nutrition composition of the fish.

Seasonal variation in community structure and body length of dominant copepods around artificial reefs in Xiaoshi Island,China

This study aims to investigate the seasonal variations in copepod community structure and prosome length of dominant species from March 2009 to January 2010 around artificial reefs in Xiaoshi Island, Yellow Sea, Weihai, China. Samples were collected using two types of plankton net （Model I and Model II） for different-sized copepods. The number of taxon was calculated from the data of both the net types, while the copepod abundance was done using the samples from Model II only. Sixteen species of planktonic copepods, including 5 dominant species, were recorded. Results reveal that Oithona similis was the first dominant species from March to June, and was replaced by Paracalanus parvus in September; both dominated the copepod community in January. Acartia hongi was the second dominant species from March to September. Centropages abdominalis was the third dominant species from March to June, and was replaced by O. sirnilis in September and Corycaeus aJfinis in January. C. affinis was the fourth dominant species in September. Population density of the dominant copepods was compared with that of other similar regions. We found that the dominant species were mostly small copepods （〈1 mm） except for adult Centrapages abdominalis. Seasonal variation in prosome length of O. similis, C. abdominalis, and C. affinis, and their copepodites were studied for the first time in China. For P. parvus and A. hongi, seasonal trends in prosome length variation were similar with those in Jiaozhou Bay, Yellow Sea, Qingdao, China, in a similar temperate domain. The results are helpful for future calculation of copepod biomass and production, and for investigation of the relationship between copepods and fish resources.

Grazing and performance of the copepod Pseudodiaptomus poplesia on a Chinese strain of Aureococcus anophagefferens

Brown tides have recurred in estuary areas globally,but trophic interactions between the causative species Aureococcus anophagefferens and planktonic copepods remain poorly understood.In this study,we investigated performance（ingestion,growth,development and reproduction） of the planktonic copepod,Pseudodiaptomus poplesia,offered either mono-algal or mixed-algal diets containing a Chinese strain of A.anophagefferens.A typical Michaelis-Menten pattern existed between ingestion rate and food level when copepod fed on the monoalgal diet of this species.Nauplii exhibited the highest maximum ingestion rate（Imax） than copepodids and adult females.In addition,Imax value was higher in nauplii feeding on A.anophagefferens than on Skeletonema costatum.When fed mixtures of A.anophagefferens and S.costatum,P.poplesia selected against A.anophagefferens cells,but less strongly at the naupliar stage.Nauplii did not undergo metamorphosis and died at late naupliar stages feeding on A.anophagefferens alone,similar to those under starvation.Furthermore,the presence of A.anophagefferens greatly reduced the reproduction rate of females in mixtures but did not influence the growth rate of copepodids.These results suggest that P.poplesia nauplii may exert grazing pressure on A.anophagefferens population during a brown tide,which,however,may not be persistent because of copepod population decline.

Distribution patterns of appendicularians and copepods and their relationship on the northwest continental shelf of South China Sea during summer

The potential suppression of copepods on appendicularians was found in field and experimental conditions. The abundance and distribution of appendicularians and planktonic copepods were studied with reference to their correlations during summer on the northwest continental shelf of the South China Sea （SCS）. Based on the topography and water mass of the surveyed region, it was divided into three sub-regions： Region I （inshore waters of the east Leizhou Peninsula） with low temperature, salinity and high chlorophyll a （Chl a） concentration, Region II （inshore waters of the east and southeast Hainan Island） with low temperature, high salinity and moderate Chl a concentration and Region III （offshore waters from the Leizhou Peninsula to Hainan Island） with high temperature, high salinity and low Chl a concentration. The species richness of appendicularians and copepods increased from the inshore to offshore waters, and high values were observed in Region III. The distribution of appendicularian and copepod abundance decreased generally from the inshore to offshore waters, with the highest values at Region I. Our results suggest that the distribution patterns of appendicularians and copepods differed significantly, as a result of the influence of physical and biological factors. The negative impact of pelagic copepods on appendicularians was not found based on in situ data in the northwest continental shelf of SCS.

In situ diet of the copepod Calanus sinicus in coastal waters of the South Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea

Copepods are a key trophic link between primary producers and predatory animals at higher trophic levels in the marine ecosystem. Knowledge of the in situ composition of the copepod diet is critical for the accurate evaluation of trophic relationships and energy transfer in marine food webs. In this study, we applied a PCR-based cloning technique developed previously to investigate the in situ diet of Calanus sinicus, an ecologically important largesized calanoid copepod that dominates in the shelf waters around China, Japan and Korea. Analyses of the 18S rDNA sequences obtained from the copepod diet revealed the diverse food composition of C. sinicus from two stations （Y19 in the South Yellow Sea and B49 in the Bohai Sea）. A total of 43 operational taxonomic units （OTUs） were detected, which belonged to 13 diverse lineages： Bacillariophyta, Dinoflagellata, Dictyochophyceae, Chrysophyta, Katablepharidophyta, Pelagophyceae, Apusozoa, Hydrozoa, Ctenophora, Echinodermata, Tunicata, Chaetognatha and marine fungi. The results indicate that during an algae bloom, C. sinicus can graze on the bloom causative species. When the abundance of phytoplankton in ambient water is relatively low, C. sinicus can choose eggs, larvae, or organic particles/detritus of various metazoans, especially hydrozoans and ctenophores, as alternative food sources. Our result suggests that C. sinicus is an omnivorous species, and its prey choice may depend on the food availability in the ambient waters.

Preliminary study of the retention mechanism of planktonic copepods in the Jiulong Estuary in China

The horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of five planktonic copepods, Calanus sinicus, Acartia pacifica, Tortanus derjugini, Acartiella sinensis and Pseudodiaptomus poplesia, predominant in the Jiulong Estuary, were investigated from May 2003 to April 2004. The results showed that the distribution of these copepods was related to the tidal period but that each species had its own specific pattern. C. sinicus showed no tidal vertical migration behavior and was thought to be a non-resident species in this estuary. Among Acartia pacifica, T. derjugini,Acartiella sinensis, more individuals occurred in the surface than in the bottom waters during flood tide, and the pattern was reversed during ebb tide. The epibenthic copepod P. poplesia usually remained in the bottom waters in the upstream part of the estuary, but it displayed strong tidally-oriented vertical migration in the middle reaches of the estuary. Taking into account the hydrographic characteristics of the Jiulong Estuary, it was hypothesized that the planktonic copepods in this estuary had more or less adopted the mechanism of vertically migrating to the surface waters during flood tide in order to make use of the inflowing tide, and then sinking to the bottom during ebb tide to avoid being carried out of the estuary by net outflow.

Diel vertical migration of the copepod Calanus sinicus before and during formation of the Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Water in the Yellow Sea

To understand the effects of the Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Water （YSCBW） on the diel vertical migration （D- VM） of the copepod Calanus sinicus, we surveyed vertical distribution of C. sinicus at a fixed station in the Yellow Sea before （spring） and during （summer） formation of the YSCBW. Cold water （〈10℃） was observed in the bottom layer when the water column was thermally stratified in summer, but the water column was thermally well-mixed in spring 2010. Samples were collected from five different layers at 3-h intervals using an opening-closing net. Adult females （1-155 ind./m3） showed a clear normal DVM pattern throughout the entire water column in spring, whereas adult males did not migrate. DVM of copepodite V （CV） individuals was not clear, but the maximum abundance of CI-CIV occurred consistently in the upper 10-20 m layer, where there was a high concentration of chlorophyll-a （Chl-a） （0.49-1.19μg/L）. In summer, weak DVM was limited to cold waters beneath the thermocline for adult females （〈30 ind./m3）, but not for adult males. The maximum abundance of CI-CIV also occurred consistently in the subsurface layer （20-40 m） together with high concentrations of Chl-a （0.81-2.36 μg/L）. CV individuals （1-272 ind./m3） moved slightly upward noc- turnally to the near-surface layer （10-20 m）, where the average temperature was 25.74℃, but they were not found in the surface layer （0-10 m; 28.31℃）. These results indicate that the existence of the YSBCW affected food availability at depth and the vertical temperature distribution, leading to variation in the amplitude and shape of stage-specific vertical distributions （CI to adults） in C. sinicus before and during the formation of cold waters in the Yellow Sea during the study period.

Population dynamics of four dominant copepods in Prydz Bay, Antarctica, during austral summer from 1999 to 2006

Population dynamics of four dominant Antarctic copepods, Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, Metridia gerlachei and Rhincalanus gigas were studied based on zooplankton samples collected in the Prydz Bay during austral summer from 1999 to 2006. We found that C. acutus was the most abundant species among these four copepods, followed by C. propinquus, M. gerlachei and R. gigas. R. gigas occurred mainly in the warmer oceanic regions and showed distribution patterns discrete from the other three species, whose distribution in the whole survey area overlapped. By December 15th （about one month before our sampling） of the years 1999, 2003 and 2006, sea ice retreated earlier and polynyas existed in the neritic region one month before sampling. These periods were characterized by numerical dominance of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei, elevated proportions of Copepodite I and Copepodite II stages especially in the neritic region. While for the years 2000, 2002, and 2005, the ice edge located more northerly and polynyas did not exist in the neritic region, the copepods abundance was lower, indicating poor recruitment. Population structure of R. gigas was mainly composed of advanced stages Copepodite V and female during all cruises. Log10 （x＋l） transformed densities of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei showed positive correlation with temperature and chlorophyll a concentration, while mean population stages of these copopods were negatively correlated with these environmental variables. Younger copepodite stages of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei appeared more often in neritic regions. We confirmed that the polynyas had a great contribution to phytoplankton blooms, which promote copepods reproduction and recruitment success. The study suggested that population dynamics of the four copepods have good correspondence with sea ice and polynya variations during all cruises of the Prydz Bay.

Seasonal variance of salinity tolerance of a copepod Drepanopus bispinosus in an Antarctic littoral saline lake (Burton Lake)

In Burton Lake (an Antarctic littoral saline lake), as one of the overwinter species, the female Drepanopus bispinosus reach adult form in autumn. and early winter.For the subsequent life period of more than eight months, the animals experience such changing environment as increasing salinities from approximately 33 (in May) to 39 (in November). There is a considerable difference of salinity tolerance of female adults between summer and winter populations.Winter collected copepods survived lower salinities than summer collected copepods in this experiment. The upward shift in their salinity tolerance range is related to the development of field acclimation to salinity. Respiration rates of the summer animals showed a visible increase over those of winter copepods in simitar salinity and temperature conditions, thus supporting the above conclusion.

Studies of community structure and seasonal dynamics of planktonic copepods in saline-alkaline ponds

Species abundance and seasonal succession of copepods in saline-alkaline ponds were studied in Zhaodian Fish Farm, Gaoqing County, Shandong Province, from 5 April 1997 to 1 September 1998. The results indicated that in the conditions of salinity ranging from 1.36 to 20 g/L, total alkalinity changing from 2.4 to 7.2 mmol/L and pH 8–9, zooplankton in saline-alkaline ponds was composed of freshwater salt-tolerated species or halophile species, some of which are halobiont species and usually occurs in freshwater. In our study, copepods were predominant in many fish-culture ponds and all control ponds without fishes in spring, late autumn and early winter. Dominant species of copepods were Sinocalanus tenellus, Cyclops vicinus, Thermocyclops taiho- kuensis. The biomass of copepods in the control ponds without fishes was higher than that of the fish-culture ponds.