A trait database for marine copepods

The trait-based approach is gaining increasing popularity in marine plankton ecology but the field urgently needs more and easier accessible trait data to advance. We compiled trait information on marine pelagic copepods, a major group of zooplankton, from the published literature and from experts and organized the data into a structured database. We collected 9306 records for 14 functional traits. Particular attention was given to body size, feeding mode, egg size, spawning strategy, respiration rate, and myelination (presence of nerve sheathing). Most records were reported at the species level, but some phylogenetically conserved traits, such as myelination, were reported at higher taxonomic levels, allowing the entire diversity of around 10 800 recognized marine copepod species to be covered with a few records. Aside from myelination, data coverage was highest for spawning strategy and body size, while information was more limited for quantitative traits related to repro- duction and physiology. The database may be used to investigate relationships between traits, to produce trait biogeographies, or to inform and validate trait-based marine ecosystem models.

基于功能性状的研究方法在海洋浮游生物生态学领域的认可度与日俱增，但该领域亟需更多更易获取的性状数据以推动其发展。本研究从已发表文献及专家处收集了作为浮游动物（zooplankton）主要类群的海洋浮游桡足类（copepods）的性状信息，并将这些数据整理至结构化数据库中。本次共收集了覆盖14项功能性状的9306条记录。研究重点关注了个体体型、摄食模式、卵粒大小、产卵策略、呼吸速率以及髓鞘形成（即神经鞘的存在情况）这几项性状。多数记录以物种水平为报道层级，但部分系统发育保守性状（如髓鞘形成）则以更高分类阶元进行记录，这使得仅需少量记录即可覆盖约10800种已被正式记录的海洋桡足类的全部物种多样性。除髓鞘形成性状外，产卵策略与个体体型的数据覆盖度最高，而与生殖及生理相关的数量性状的信息则相对匮乏。该数据库可用于探究性状间的关联、构建性状生物地理分布格局，或是为基于功能性状的海洋生态系统模型提供参考依据并完成验证。