386
THE BIOLOGY O F EUPHAUSIIDS
a level of carbon equal to about 3% of the daily primary production of
the euphotic zone. The euphausiids, however, do not obtain their
carbon directly from the phytoplankton but via food chains and,
further, other species of euphausiids are present in the same sea area as
E. pacijica with the result that the euphansiid population as a whole
must require considerably more carbon and other nutrients per day
than is equivalent to 3% of the daily primary production. More
information is required about the nutrition, qualitative and quantitative, of euphausiids before much more can be said about the quantitative aspects of production and loss of nutrients a t their level of the food
chains.
One problem that must be discussed is the possibility of harvesting
euphausiids for human consumption or as food for domestic animals.
Holt and Tattersall (1906a) state that “ Messrs Farran and Kemp,
who have made gastronomic experiments of the species [Meganyctiphanes
norvegica], assure us that however abundant it may become in some
subsequent development of economic fishing methods it is never likely
to form a welcome addition to the table ”. We, and the officers and
crew of M.F.V. ‘( Calanus ”, the research vessel of the Scottish Marine
Biological Association, had a meal of M . norvegica and Thysanoessa
raschii caught in Loch Fyne. The euphausiids, along with considerably
lesser quantities of the copepods, Pareuchaeta norvegica and Calanus
jinmarchicus, and other members of the plankton, were first boiled in
salted water and the resulting scum of oils removed from the surface of
the pot. They were then drained, fried in a frying pan until lightly
browned, and served on hot buttered toast. Some of us, who shall be
nameless, were somewhat greedy and consumed two large helpings of
what was considered to be excellent eating. The morning after, a general
state of indigestion was current on board. This presumably arose
because of the extreme richness of the food as well as the presence of
a high proportion of indigestible chitin. The flavour was excellent
although general opinion held that the appearance of the meal would
have little visual appeal to the housewife, the fried plankton having a
certain resemblance to cooked maggots. Clarke and Bishop (1 948)
described the results of several experiments on feeding human beings on
plankton : (‘ The plankton had a mildly pleasant taste, being somewhat
reminiscent of shrimp or raw oysters. Six or eight members of the ship’s
company who were definitely prejudiced against the idea at the outset,
tasted the plankton and pronounced it either good or not objectionable.
The plankton was also tasted after various treatments, such as being
washed with fresh water, spread on bread or crackers with and without
butter, or fried. Some subjects found that the plankton was most
THE BIOLOGY O F EUPHAUSIIDS
a level of carbon equal to about 3% of the daily primary production of
the euphotic zone. The euphausiids, however, do not obtain their
carbon directly from the phytoplankton but via food chains and,
further, other species of euphausiids are present in the same sea area as
E. pacijica with the result that the euphansiid population as a whole
must require considerably more carbon and other nutrients per day
than is equivalent to 3% of the daily primary production. More
information is required about the nutrition, qualitative and quantitative, of euphausiids before much more can be said about the quantitative aspects of production and loss of nutrients a t their level of the food
chains.
One problem that must be discussed is the possibility of harvesting
euphausiids for human consumption or as food for domestic animals.
Holt and Tattersall (1906a) state that “ Messrs Farran and Kemp,
who have made gastronomic experiments of the species [Meganyctiphanes
norvegica], assure us that however abundant it may become in some
subsequent development of economic fishing methods it is never likely
to form a welcome addition to the table ”. We, and the officers and
crew of M.F.V. ‘( Calanus ”, the research vessel of the Scottish Marine
Biological Association, had a meal of M . norvegica and Thysanoessa
raschii caught in Loch Fyne. The euphausiids, along with considerably
lesser quantities of the copepods, Pareuchaeta norvegica and Calanus
jinmarchicus, and other members of the plankton, were first boiled in
salted water and the resulting scum of oils removed from the surface of
the pot. They were then drained, fried in a frying pan until lightly
browned, and served on hot buttered toast. Some of us, who shall be
nameless, were somewhat greedy and consumed two large helpings of
what was considered to be excellent eating. The morning after, a general
state of indigestion was current on board. This presumably arose
because of the extreme richness of the food as well as the presence of
a high proportion of indigestible chitin. The flavour was excellent
although general opinion held that the appearance of the meal would
have little visual appeal to the housewife, the fried plankton having a
certain resemblance to cooked maggots. Clarke and Bishop (1 948)
described the results of several experiments on feeding human beings on
plankton : (‘ The plankton had a mildly pleasant taste, being somewhat
reminiscent of shrimp or raw oysters. Six or eight members of the ship’s
company who were definitely prejudiced against the idea at the outset,
tasted the plankton and pronounced it either good or not objectionable.
The plankton was also tasted after various treatments, such as being
washed with fresh water, spread on bread or crackers with and without
butter, or fried. Some subjects found that the plankton was most