Serological estimation of prey-protein gut-residence time and quantification of meal size for grass shrimp consuming meiofaunal copepods

摘要: Abstract A series of experiments using serological reagents was conducted to examine predation, ingestion and digestion in a model predator–prey system. The harpacticoid copepod Amphiascoides atopus , obtained from mass culture, used as prey the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio predator. Bulk-gut passage time P. measured by visualization latex beads ranged 0.5 4 h starved continuously-fed shrimp. polyclonal antibody prepared crude extracts A. ; cross reactions with three other crustaceans were either negligible or not detected slide agar-gel-double-immunodiffusion (AGID) Western blot preparations. presence antigens great sensitivity (e.g., seven copepods, 35 μg dry weight, gave positive results) shrimp gut contents even when proteins crustacean present. Prey-proteins could be for long AGID 8 techniques. Individual that fed consumed 0 98 copepods −1 subjected Western-blot preparation chemiluminescence detection densitometric evaluation. There significant curvilinear relationship between protein content number ingested. Results suggest techniques can modified estimate abundance standard-sized ingested field-collected predators.