Brito, S.L. & P.M. Maia-Barbosa. (2009). Differences in body size of Thermocyclops minutus (Lowndes, 1934) in two tropical lakes. Variação do tamanho de corpo de Thermocyclops minutus (Lowndes, 1934) em dois lagos tropicais. Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia 21(4):409-414. [In English; abstract in Portuguese.]

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Brito, S.L. & P.M. Maia-Barbosa

2009

21(4):409-414. [In English; abstract in Portuguese.]

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Body sizes of males and females of Thermocyclops minutus were compared, based on monthly samples, in two lakes with similar areas and depths, located in the Rio Doce State Park (Minas Gerais, Brazil). Body size may be influenced by distinct physical (temperature) and chemical (trophic state) characteristics and biotic interactions (herbivory and predation); Methods: Lake Carioca is mesotrophic, remains stratified most of the year, and harbors exotic species of fishes. Lake Gambazinho is oligotrophic, does not thermally stratify, and still has its native fish fauna. Each month, 30 males and 30 females of T. minutus were measured using an ocular micrometer; Results: Differences in the body size were significant between the dry and rainy periods (p = 0.000) and between females in both lakes (p = 0.000). Largerbodied individuals were mostly observed during the dry period, and larger females were recorded in Lake Carioca; Conclusions: The smaller body size of individuals in Lake Gambazinho may be associated to the lack of thermal stratification and low food quality; whereas in Lake Carioca, the stable thermal structure and the greater algae diversity may have allowed for a larger body size of this copepod. The presence of vertebrate (fish) and invertebrate (Chaoborus larvae) predators may also be responsible for the differences in size of T. minutus in these environments.

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