Selective feeding on zooplankton by larval skiffia multipunctata (goodeidae)

Abstract

We quantified the patterns of zooplanktonic prey (Brachionus calyciflorus, Daphnia pulex, and Moina macrocopa) selection and capture behavior during the early larval stages (first seven weeks) of S. multipunctata. Encounters with B. calyciflorus decreased with increasing larval age of S, multipunctata. Regardless of the larval age, B. calyciflorus was hardly rejected by S. multipunctata The trends in the feeding behavior for both the cladoceran prey were nearly similar. When either D. pulex or M. macrocopa was used as prey, larvae of S. multipundata showed increased encounters, attacks, captures, and ingestions with increasing larval age. More individuals of D. pulex than M. macrocopa were rejected by larval S. multipunctata. S. multipunctata showed clear preferences for B. calyciflorus and M. macrocopa and avoidance of D. pulex. Regardless of the age of the larvae, there was an inverse relation between the quantity of prey consumed and the size of zooplankton. © 2004, Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.