On the biology of the small copepods in Loch Striven

Abstract

The seven species of small copepod common in Loch Striven have been studied from vertical tow-net hauls taken there throughout the year 1933. These copepods were Pseudocalanus minutus, Paracalanus parvus, Microcalanus pygmaeus, Centropages hamatus, Temora longicornis, Acartia clausi and Oithona similis.In general, the copepods began to reproduce about the time of the spring diatom increase in March or April, and produced a succession of broods throughout the summer; apart from the first these broods were not as a rule so clearly marked as in Calanus. Microcalanus begins to breed before the spring increase and has clearly marked broods like Calanus.