Oscillations in the near-field feeding current of a calanoid copepod are useful for particle sensing.

ABSTRACT: Calanoid copepods are small crustaceans that constitute a major element of aquatic ecosystems. Key to their success is their feeding apparatus consisting of sensor-studded mouth appendages that are in constant motion. These appendages generate a feeding current to enhance the encounter probability with food items. Additionally, sensing enables the organism to determine the position and quality of food particles, and to alter the near-field flow to capture and manipulate the particles for ingestion or rejection. Here we observe a freely swimming copepod Leptodiaptomus sicilis in multiple perspectives together with suspended particles that allow us to analyse the flow field created by the animal. We observe a highly periodic motion of the mouth appendages that is mirrored in oscillations of

SUBMITTER: Giuffre C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6882890 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature