MSC 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Antarctic Krill, Chaetognatha, Holoplankton

• School: University of Miami
• Department: Marine Science
• Course: MSC 111
• Professor: Peterson Larry

Document Summary

Vital link between phytoplankton and nekton in multiple trophic levels. Meroplankton: planktonic for part of life history. Ex. most fish, benthic clams, snails, barnacles, shrimp. Purpose: dispersion of offspring from parent population to prevent overcrowding/competition. Benthic or nektonic taxa may have many meroplankton larvae. Ichthyoplankton: fish eggs an larvae juvenile= small replica of adult stage. I(cid:374) situ (cid:894)(cid:862)i(cid:374) the field(cid:863)(cid:895) i(cid:373)ages- see development. Jellyfish (medusae): lions mane jellyfish (arctic- 7ft diameter) Carnivorous- tentacles equipped with venomous low toxic stinging cells (nematocysts) Siphonophores: colonial with specialized individuals in the colony. Mouths contin chitinous hooks to hold prey. Voracious predators- feed on copepods and fish larvae. Stages of development: egg- nauplius- copepodite- adult. Antennae- sense local environment, provide forward motion (jumping) Light level dictates position in the water column- nocturnal feeders to avoid visual predators. Winter: remain as larvae an sink to ocean floor. Spring bloom/summer: rise to the surface, continue growth into adults.