Data base on heterotrophic dinoflagellates grazing and growth rate as a function of size, prey size and type compiled from the literature

Microzooplankton (the 20 to 200 µm size class of zooplankton) is recognised as an important part of marine pelagic ecosystems. In terms of biomass and abundance heterotrophic dinoflagellates are one of the important groups of organism in microzooplankton. However, their rates - grazing and growth - , feeding behaviour and prey preferences are poorly known and understood. A set of data was assembled in order to derive a better understanding of heterotrophic dinoflagellates rates, in response to parameters such as prey concentration, prey type (size and species), temperature and their own size. With these objectives, literature was searched for laboratory experiments with information on one or more of these parameters effect studied. The criteria for selection and inclusion in the database included: (i) controlled laboratory experiment with a known dinoflagellate feeding on a known prey; (ii) presence of ancillary information about experimental conditions, used organisms - cell volume, cell dimensions, and carbon content. Rates and ancillary information were measured in units that meet the experimenter need, creating a need to harmonize the data units after collection. In addition different units can link to different mechanisms (carbon to nutritive quality of the prey, volume to size limits). As a result, grazing rates are thus available as pg C dinoflagellate-1 h-1, µm3 dinoflagellate-1 h-1 and prey cell dinoflagellate-1 h-1; clearance rate was calculated if not given and growth rate is expressed as the growth rate per day.微型浮游动物（Microzooplankton，即体长20~200微米的浮游动物类群）现已被公认为海洋上层浮游生态系统的重要组成部分。从生物量与丰度维度来看，异养甲藻（heterotrophic dinoflagellates）是微型浮游动物中的重要类群之一。然而，人们对其摄食与生长速率、摄食行为以及猎物偏好等方面的认知仍较为匮乏。 为深入解析异养甲藻的相关生理速率，并探究猎物浓度、猎物类型（尺寸与物种）、温度以及自身体型等参数对其的影响，研究人员构建了一套数据集。基于上述研究目标，团队对已发表文献进行系统性检索，筛选出包含上述至少一项参数影响效应研究信息的室内控制实验数据。 该数据库的入选筛选标准如下： （1）实验为受控室内实验，且所用甲藻与猎物物种均明确已知； （2）包含实验条件、受试生物的相关辅助信息，如细胞体积、细胞尺寸以及碳含量等。 由于实验中速率与辅助信息的计量单位均根据实验者的实际需求设定，因此在数据收集完成后需要对单位进行统一校准。此外，不同计量单位可对应不同的生态学机制：碳含量与猎物的营养品质直接相关，而体积则与捕食的体型限制机制相关。 最终，本数据集提供的摄食率单位包括皮克碳·每甲藻细胞·每小时（pg C·cell⁻¹·h⁻¹）、立方微米·每甲藻细胞·每小时（µm³·cell⁻¹·h⁻¹）以及猎物细胞数·每甲藻细胞·每小时（prey cell·cell⁻¹·h⁻¹）；若原始文献未提供清滤率，则通过计算补全；生长率以每日生长速率的形式呈现。