Biomass of Freshwater Crustacean Zooplankton from Length–Weight Regressions

Abstract

We present equations for calculating dry weight from body length for 14 common and widely distributed taxa of crustacean zooplankters; these were generated by regression from weights of individuals chosen from the range of lengths observed for each taxon, usually three replicate weights at each of five lengths. We include regressions for ovigerous and nonovigerous cladocerans, plus nauplii, early copepodites, and adult males and females for the copepods (30 length–weight relationships) and individual weights for given stages of copepods. We calculated the seasonal variation in crustacean biomass for a station in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, and for each of the three basins of Lake Erie. Biomass was dominated by Cladocera for both lakes, with Copepoda predominant in the spring. Mean individual dry weights varied seasonally for all taxa, confirming previous findings.