GRAZING OF BOSMINA LONGIROSTRIS ON TWO PLANKTONIC ALGAE: THE INFLUENCE OF SIZE AND TASTE.

The cladoceran Bosmina longirostris is a dominant species in the River Meuse (Belgium) especially during summer. Grazing of this small-sized cosmopolitan cladoceran on algae has been stated to be related to the size of the grazed cells by some authors while other studies emphasised on the ability of bosminids to actively capture 'good tasting' particles. Grazing experiments were carried out in the laboratory with B. longirostris feeding on two algal species (Dictyosphaerium ehrenbergianum, 3-4 µm of diameter, and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, 9-10 µm of diameter). Gut passage times and ingestion rates of the bosminids were determined with radioactively and fluorescently labelled algae. Although both algae have sizes reported to be actively grazed by B. longirostris, they were ingested at very different rates. The relative influence of cell size and cell 'taste' will be discussed.