The respiration of some planktonic copepods

Abstract

The respiratory rates of four species of planktonic copepods were measured. In two of the species measurements were made with two copepodite stages, and with adult male and female specimens.The rate for Calanus finmarchicus Stage V at 17°C. was found to be 0·52 μl./cop./hr., a figure which agreed with previous measurements.For all the species and stages studied the respiratory rate was found to be closely proportional to the length to the power of 2·2.The relevance of such measurements to conditions in the sea is briefly discussed.