Depredacion de Corycaeus giesbrechti Dahl 1894 sobre nauplios de Acartia tonsa Dana 1852 y Tintinnopsis sp. Stein 1867

A field-experimental study of predation of Corycaeus giesbrechti on Acartia tonsa nauplii and Tintinnopsis sp adults, collected in Paranagua Bay, Pontal do Sul, Brazil, was performed. Copepods were fed with three different prey concentration: 40, 60 and 80 preys/l. Nauplii and tintinnids were provided separately to copepods and in a mixture of both preys. Results indicate that, for both isolated and combined concentrations, predation was significantly related to tintinnid density (ANOVA p<0.05) but not nauplii. Higher predatory rates to tintinnids compared to nauplii were obtained. ANOVA revealed significant differences in predation rates of C. giesbrechti upon tintinnids, which can be related to prey size.