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Feeding Mechanisms and Comparative Functional Morphology of Macrothricidae (Crustacea : Cladocera)
Author(s) -
Sergeev V. N.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
internationale revue der gesamten hydrobiologie und hydrographie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 0020-9309
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.19730580611
Subject(s) - seta , crustacean , biology , epiphyte , substrate (aquarium) , cladocera , zoology , ecology , botany , genus
Feeding of the Macrothricidae is accomplished b y two principal methods: active collection of food from the substrate surface and filtration of suspended particles. As differentiated from Ilyocryptus sordidus and Lathonura rectirostris, Ophryoxus gracilis is equipped with the most universal set of limbs allowing catching of food along with filtratory feeding. They are described in detail. Lathonura rectirostris is a highly specialized species, an inhabitant of plant thickets, since i t adapted to feeding on epiphytic algae and particles at the plant surface. Feeding is accomplished only by scraping or catching food by means of complexes of setae of the II pair of limbs. Filtratory feeding and appropriate structures are lacking. The structure and action of the limb apparatus of Ilyocryptus sordidus rule out active catching of food particles.