Food type induces different reproductive responses in the copepod Centropages typicus

Egg production and hatching success were determined for individualCentropages typicus fed two diatoms (Thalassiosira rotula andPhaeodactylum tricomutum) and two dinoflagellates (Prorocen-trumminimum and Gonyaulaxpolyedrd). Both reproductive responseswere strongly affected by food type. Females incubated withoutmales produced eggs with all diets, but fecundity was twiceas high with the larger T. rotula and G.polyedra cells. In contrast,hatching success was 2–3 times higher with the dinoflagellatediets. The presence of males did not enhance egg productionrates. Males also did not improve hatching success when thediet consisted of the diatom T.rotula. However, egg viabilitywas higher for couples fed the dinoflagellate G.polyedra, indicatingthat egg viability was possibly being controlled by both rematingand food type. Egg viability was artificially lowered by exposingnewly spawned eggs to high concentrations (10⁴–10⁹ pgC) of extracts from T.rotula, whereas the development of eggsproceeded normally at all concentrations of extracts from P.minimum.Blockage of egg development was not due to anoxia, but to thepresence of intracellular, deleterious chemical compounds indiatoms, suggesting that bottom-up prey control mechanisms underlieseasonal fluctuations in C.typicus populations at sea.