Juvenile fish predation on meiobenthos - Moreton Bay, Australia

9314555 CONOF该研究项目将集中于确定小型底栖生物是否完全融入亚热带河口碎屑食物网，因为它们在类似的温带地区食物网中。该研究项目将与澳大利亚同事合作进行，他们对澳大利亚中东部海岸莫尔顿湾以红树林为主的浮石通道的底层/浮游动物的物种组成和丰度有长期的数据记录。该项目将首先确定哪些鱼种的幼鱼利用小型底栖生物作为数量丰富的食物。随后，将确定鱼类生活的生境中的小型底栖动物物种组成。 这些数据对于确定肠道中的猎物区系是否在鱼生活的地方被吃掉以及肠道内容物是否与现有的居民猎物一致至关重要。在这两个描述性阶段的研究完成后，计划进行实验，以测试占主导地位的幼鱼捕食者对小型底栖动物的清除率，以及某些小型底栖动物是否被底食性幼鱼所选择。 这些实验将在循环海水系统的微观世界中进行，并将遵循先前在南卡罗来纳州PI实验室进行的类似实验中使用的方案。 ***

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. ***