Grazing of two common appendicularians on the natural prey assemblage of a tropical coastal ecosystem

摘要: The clearance rates of co-occurring appendicularian species, Oikopleura longicauda and O. fusiformis, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, were investigated to evaluate compare their roles a tropical food web. Individual appendicularians captured situ allowed feed on the natural plankton assemblage for 60 180 min. Feeding rate estimates based flow-cytometry analyses cell-density changes heterotrophic bacteria (Hbact), Synechococcus spp. (Syn) 60% picoplankton standing stock from water column daily. While generally much less abundant, during occasional peaks 1 ind. l -1 , fusiformis can remove an almost equivalent amount (> 50%). Nevertheless, consistently higher abundances make this species more significant link between production higher-level consumers (chaetognaths fishes) coastal embayment.