Juvenile fish predation on meiobenthos - Moreton Bay, Australia

9314555 cll这个研究项目将集中于确定微型动物是否完全融入了亚热带河口碎屑食物网，就像它们在类似的温带地区食物网一样。本研究项目将与澳大利亚同事合作进行，他们对位于澳大利亚中部东海岸的莫尔顿湾以红树林为主的浮石通道的物种组成和底栖/游动动物群的丰度有长期的数据记录。该项目将首先确定哪些鱼类幼鱼利用小型动物群作为数量丰富的饮食项目。随后，将确定鱼类生活栖息地的小动物物种组成。这些数据对于确定肠道内的猎物群是否在鱼类生活的地方被吃掉，以及肠道内容物是否与当地的猎物一致至关重要。在研究的这两个描述阶段完成后，计划进行实验，以测试优势幼鱼捕食者对减数动物的去除率，以及底食幼鱼是否正在选择某些减数动物。这些实验将在一个海水循环系统的微观环境中进行，并将遵循先前在南卡罗来纳州的PI实验室进行的类似实验中使用的协议。＊＊＊

9314555 COULL This research project will center on determining if meiofauna are as fully integrated into sub-tropical estuarine detritus-based food webs as they are in similar temperate region food webs. This research project will be carried out in cooperation with Australian colleagues who have a long-term data record on the species composition and abundance of demersal/natant fauna in the mangrove dominated Pumicestone Passage, Moreton Bay, which is located on the central east coast of Australia. The project will first determine what species of juvenile fish utilize meiofauna as a numerically abundant diet item. Subsequently, the meiofaunal species composition in the habitats where the fish live will be determined. This data is essential to determine if the prey fauna in the guts have been eaten where the fish live and, if gut contents are consistent with the resident prey available. After these two descriptive phases of the research are completed experiments are planned to test meiofaunal removal rates by a dominant juvenile fish predator and whether certain meiofauna are being selected by bottom-feeding juvenile fish. These experiments will be conducted in microcosms in a recirculating sea-water system and will follow the protocol used in similar experiments performed previously in the PI's laboratory in South Carolina. ***