Question:
What are some adaptations to seasonal fluctuations in copepods?
Author: Asger LIndberg-NielsenAnswer:
Three major adaptations to overwintering: Dormancy – lowered basic metabolic rate and less activity. (Small copopods enter dormancy before production season ends because of low survival rate). generally dormancy starts earlier in higher latitudes. They exit as juveniles. Depending on stage they can go from c4 to c5 which has to happen before reproduction. That’s why cold spring can give slower development – and create mismatch. Migration to deeper layers - in the fjords its cold deep down. Calanus overwinter deeper down with increasing fish populationsize it seems. Lippid storage high enrgy pr weight. So lipid is the most efficient way of storing energy. Benthic organisms (bigger) can also store carbohydrates and stuff
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