Planktonic Turbellaria are of common occurrence in both natural and man-made lakes in Brazil . Experiments were performed in 1987 and 1989 to determine which zooplankton species are consumed by predatory Mesostoma sp. from three natural lakes in the Rio Doce Valley . Experiments were also performed in 1989 with a yet unidentified flatworm from Barra Bonita reservoir . Both predators consumed Daphnia and Ceriodaphnia at a high rate: 4 individuals per day in the case of Mesostoma sp., a large species and 1 .5 ind day -' in the case of the smaller species from Barra Bonita reservoir . Consumption of copepod nauplii, copepodids and adults was much lower, and Ostracoda were not consumed at all . Experiments on food selectivity showed a clear preference by the flatworms for cladocerans .In the lakes studied, flatworms are heavily preyed upon by larvae of Chaoborus and by Mesocyclops species .Turbellaria densities in the natural lakes were around 300 individuals per cubic meter, whereas in Barra Bonita reservoir, 1000 individuals per cubic meter was a mean value in a fifteen days study .
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.