AN ENERGY BUDGET FOR MENIPPE MERCENARIA LARVAE FED ARTEMIA NAUPLII

¹ College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware 19958

1. An energy budget was constructed for Menippe mercenaria from hatching to first juvenile crab when fed newly-hatched Artemia nauplii.

2. Larvae of M. mercenaria grow exponentially through the zoeal stages. Growth rate decreases during megalopa.

3. Consumption reaches its peak during megalopa where one individual may consume 91 Artemia nauplii/day. Feeding rate decreases prior to molting to first crab stage.

4. The caloric content per unit dry weight increases from 2.503 cal/mg at hatching to 3.746 cal/mg at first juvenile crab. Molts contain 1.296 cal/mg.

5. Respiration by zoea is proportional to the two thirds power of body weight and is described by the function R = 0.0017W^0.67.

6. Over the period of larval development, 7.329 calories are consumed, 2.207 calories are used for growth, 0.502 calories are lost to production of exuvia, 1.933 calories are expended for maintenance, and 2.687 calories are lost as rejecta.