Calanus glacialis Jaschnov, 1955
One of most abundance surface copepods of the Arctic
Size
- Eggs 0.17 mm
- Females 2.8-4.2 mm prosome, 3.5-5.2 mm total length
- Males slightly smaller
Color & Characteristics
- Body almost completely transparent, red color may be prominant on antennae, mouth parts, and parts of the urosome (the tail)
- Lipid sac prominant, and upto 40% of body volume
- Urosome (tail) typical length (~ 25% of prosome)
- Antennae equal to or longer than total length
- Mouth parts and antennae typcial of filter feeder
Habitat
- Endemic to arctic waters
- Most abundant on shelf areas deeper than 50 m, commonly advected off shelves into deep basins
- Concentrated in surface waters during late spring to early fall, found between 200-500 m during winter
Feeding
- Suspension "filter" feeder on phytoplankton and protists
- Large lipids deposits accumulated for over wintering stages
- Thought to be one of the arctic's key grazers
Life cycle
- Females beginning spawn in spring based on lipid reserves from previous year, with continued reproduction dependent on food availability through the summer
- Clutch size dependent on size of female with maximums in excess of 100 eggs and typically 40-80 eggs
- Nauplii complete development over spring/summer
- Late copepodites (CIII-CVI) overwinter at depth in 'diapause' (a form of hibernation)
- Generation length estimated at 2 years
- Life expectancy 2-3 years, with potential for females to spawn in sequential years
Page Author: Russ Hopcroft
Created: Sept 14, 2009
