Suppression of cannibalism in the intertidal copepod Tigriopus japonicus (Mori, 1932) and improvements in population density using artificial substrates

Abstract

The present study investigated population growth, egg production and cannibalism in the intertidal harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus japonicus (Mori, 1932). Copepods were cultured on artificial substrates with different surface areas, from 13.5 × 103 to 10.6 × 104 mm2, to clarify the effect of surface area in a culture vessel on population density. The cannibalism rate at a surface area of 10.6 × 104 mm2 was significantly lower (by a sixth) than that at 13.5 × 103 mm2. These results suggest that artificial substrates play a role in preventing cannibalism by providing shelter and can increase the stocking population density of T. japonicus in a vessel.