Phytoplankton biomass, chlorophyll concentration, and variability of lipid content in Calanus euxinus in the Black Sea in June 1991

During field studies relationships between chlorophyll concentrations, phytoplankton biomass (total, individual sizes and species) and level of accumulation of total lipids, wax esters, triacylglycerols, and phospholipids in C. euxinus (copepodites V and females) were studied. These relationships allowed to display not only simple trophic relations between isolated parts of the C. euxinus population and phytoplankton, but also selective role of individual algae species in forming lipid reserves too. Besides it was found that geographical variability of chlorophyll concentration and phytoplankton biomass correlates closely only with those lipid fractions (wax esters and phospholipids) of C. euxinus, which accumulated and kept in a body for a fairly long time. No correlation was found between phytoplankton and for rapidly metabolized triacylglycerols, which have to be utilized within few hours.