Seasonal variations in copepod body length: A comparison between different species in Keban Dam Lake, Turkey

Abstract

Seasonal variations in length of the copepods in Keban Dam Lake were compared and the relative influence of temperature, chlorophyll concentration, salinity, and total hardness examined. Temperature seems to be the primary factor influencing copepod body length in the Keban Dam Lake, but the various species differ markedly in their response. Calanoid copepods (Arctodiaptomus osmanus and Acanthodiaptomus denticomis) showed a more definite trend of size variation with temperature than the cyclopoid copepod, Cyclops vicinus. Differences in metabolic rate, longevity, and specialization of calanoid and cyclopoid copepods could explain their different responses to temperature.