TY - JOUR
T1 - Swimming behavior and prey retention of the polychaete larvae Polydora ciliata (Johnston)
AU - Hansen, Benni Winding
AU - Jacobsen, Hans Henrik
AU - Andersen, Anders
AU - Almeda, Rodrigo
AU - Pedersen, Troels Møller
AU - Christensen, Anette M.
AU - Nilsson, Birgitte
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - The behavior of the ubiquitous estuarine planktotrophic spionid polychaete larvae Polydora ciliata was studied. We describe ontogenetic changes in morphology, swimming speed and feeding rates and have developed a simple swimming model using low Reynolds number hydrodynamics. In the model we assumed that the ciliary swimming apparatus is primarily composed of the prototroch and secondarily by the telotroch. The model predicted swimming speeds and feeding rates that corresponded well with the measured speeds and rates. Applying empirical data to the model, we were able to explain the profound decrease in specific feeding rates and the observed increase in the difference between upward and downward swimming speeds with larval size. We estimated a critical larval length above which the buoyancy-corrected weight of the larva exceeds the propulsion force generated by the ciliary swimming apparatus and thus forces the larva to the bottom. This modeled critical larval length corresponded to approximately 1 mm, at which, according to the literature, competence for metamorphosis and no more length increase is observed. These findings may have general implications for all planktivorous polychaete larvae that feed without trailing threads. We observed bell shaped particle retention spectra with a minimum prey size of approximately 4 μm equivalent spherical diameter, and we found that an ontogenetic increase in maximum prey size add to a reduction in intra-specific food competition in the various larval stages. In a grazing experiment using natural seawater, ciliates were cleared approximately 50% more efficiently than similar sized dinoflagellates. The prey sizes retainable for P. ciliata larvae covers the microplankton fraction and includes non-motile as well as motile prey items, which is why the larvae are trophically positioned among the copepods and dinoflagellates. Not only do larval morphology and behavior govern larval feeding, prey behavior also influences the feeding efficiency of Polydora ciliata
AB - The behavior of the ubiquitous estuarine planktotrophic spionid polychaete larvae Polydora ciliata was studied. We describe ontogenetic changes in morphology, swimming speed and feeding rates and have developed a simple swimming model using low Reynolds number hydrodynamics. In the model we assumed that the ciliary swimming apparatus is primarily composed of the prototroch and secondarily by the telotroch. The model predicted swimming speeds and feeding rates that corresponded well with the measured speeds and rates. Applying empirical data to the model, we were able to explain the profound decrease in specific feeding rates and the observed increase in the difference between upward and downward swimming speeds with larval size. We estimated a critical larval length above which the buoyancy-corrected weight of the larva exceeds the propulsion force generated by the ciliary swimming apparatus and thus forces the larva to the bottom. This modeled critical larval length corresponded to approximately 1 mm, at which, according to the literature, competence for metamorphosis and no more length increase is observed. These findings may have general implications for all planktivorous polychaete larvae that feed without trailing threads. We observed bell shaped particle retention spectra with a minimum prey size of approximately 4 μm equivalent spherical diameter, and we found that an ontogenetic increase in maximum prey size add to a reduction in intra-specific food competition in the various larval stages. In a grazing experiment using natural seawater, ciliates were cleared approximately 50% more efficiently than similar sized dinoflagellates. The prey sizes retainable for P. ciliata larvae covers the microplankton fraction and includes non-motile as well as motile prey items, which is why the larvae are trophically positioned among the copepods and dinoflagellates. Not only do larval morphology and behavior govern larval feeding, prey behavior also influences the feeding efficiency of Polydora ciliata
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.038810
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0022-0949
VL - 213
SP - 3237
EP - 3246
JO - Journal of Experimental Biology
JF - Journal of Experimental Biology
IS - 18
ER -