Predatory feeding behavior of a marine copepod, Labidocera trispinosa1

The behavior of Labidocera feeding on early developmental stages of five common species of planktonic calanoid copepods was investigated to determine its species‐specific impact on a mixed copepod community. Feeding rates on individual prey were not affected by prey density or the availability of alternate prey; threshold feeding behavior was not observed. Capture rates of naupliar prey of all species increase as a function of their size even though larger nauplii appear better able to avoid capture. In general, the ability of Labidocera to capture individuals of a prey species decreases abruptly after the prey develop to the copepodid stages. As a consequence of the limited susceptibility of copepodid stages to capture by Labidocera and higher feeding rates on larger nauplii, the predatory impact of Labidocera is greatest on the largest of the prey species.