@article{PAR00002480,
  title = {{F}eeding of tropical cladocerans ({M}oina micrura, {D}iaphanosoma excisum) and rotifer ({B}rachionus calyciflorus) on natural phytoplankton : effect of phytoplankton size-structure},
  author = {{P}agano, {M}arc},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he proliferation of large phytoplankton in tropical shallow freshwater ecosystems may be attributable to inefficient feeding by the dominant zooplankton (small cladocerans and rotifers) on large particles, but more information on the feeding behavior of tropical organisms is required to explore this hypothesis. {I}n this study, food size selectivity and functional feeding responses of three major tropical freshwater zooplankton species ({M}oina micrura, {D}iaphanosoma excisum and {B}rachionus calyciflorus) were studied to test their ability to control phytoplankton. {E}leven grazing experiments were performed, using natural phytoplankton assemblages as a food source. {M}oina micrura fed efficiently on a wide range of sizes of phytoplankton particles, from unicellular picoplankton {C}hlorella sp. (2-4 mu m equivalent spherical diameter, {ESD}) to large {C}oelastrum reticulatum coenobia (20-40 mu m {ESD}), but the selectivity depended on the nature and size distribution of the phytoplankton. {D}iaphanosoma excisum ingested only very small particles ({M}onoraphidium, {C}hlorella). {B}rachionus calyciflorus fed on a wide size range but showed a clear preference for the largest algae ({C}yclotella sp, {S}cenedesmus opoliensis). {T}hese three species increased their ingestion rate linearly with the food concentration and the saturation point was reached for {M}. micrura within the range of experimental conditions. {T}he results suggest a strong food partitioning between these three species and showed that {B}. calyciflorus and {M}. micrura were better able to exploit and control algal blooms than {D}. excisum, which was a more selective feeder controlled by the availability of small food particles.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {P}lankton {R}esearch},
  volume = {30},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {401--414},
  ISSN = {0142-7873},
  year = {2008},
  DOI = {10.1093/plankt/fbn014},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/{PAR}00002480},
}