Calorific Values of Microcrustacea

The heat content of copepods and other microcrustaceans and two species of algae in calories per gram varied from 4427 for immature crayfish to 5643 for the female Diaptomus siciloides. The algae, cladoceran, anostracan, conchostracan, and immature crayfish were all below 5000, whereas all the copepods were above 5300 (x 5467); thus copepods may contribute more energy to the food chain on a weight basis than other lower forms of crustacea.