{16
THE SEAS
'
.
_
;
importanCe in the animal plankton is a group of crustacean
organisms known as :‘cè‘pep0ds
”
or “ oar—feet.”
They are
'
all small,- the largest*=being under half an inch in length.
"
While there are :'very..many species included in the group
of copepods there” is one-that stands out far before all others“
in numbers and in importance in the chain of food organisms
that links the shes with the drifting plants.
This little
animal —is unfortunatelyunknown to mostpeople, because
it can only be caught with the aid of a tow-net, and when
_
captured is so small that it is regarded as insignicant.
_
But if ever ;an animal meted attention it is the small
,
copep0d 'WhiCh goes by the Latin‘name of Calanus n— -
marchicus (Plate
_It is unfortunate that it has no real
popular name of its own; but we shall call it in these
pages
“
Calanus " for short, in the hope that some day
Calanus Will be just such a common every-day“ expression
.
’
aaÏs'hrimp, crab, or prawn.
'
'
.
Calanus is an. inhabitant of the cold
where it forms One of the chief items of food ‘of-that most
important of all foodsh, the herring, and.is even sufcieny
_abüridant to aid in the building up of the enormous
bodies
of two of the Atlantic species of Whales, one of which has
_
been” described as “having been seen “ in still weather,
skimming on the surface of the water to take ina sortof
'
;
reddish' spawn Or brett; as some callit, that at times Will
lie on_the top of the water for a mile together.”
The spaWn
or brett is”, of course, the little“ copePod, Calanus, which
Ï
Îoccu—rs at timesfin‘ suchswatms as Sto colour the water,
—
—
wheno‘e it»has acquired the name fromshermen of ,“:red
_
feed.—’ ’— ' It will give you -some.ideâ. of the numbers of these
‘
little creatures i_f two examples are given of exceptionally
'_
ï
heavy catches. .In,theGulf,0f
t0wing'aconical
_
,
shapednet-yth a circular opening of one mètre diameter:
,
behind; -therboa“fbr fteeri minutes, over 2,
Calanus-_
THE SEAS
'
.
_
;
importanCe in the animal plankton is a group of crustacean
organisms known as :‘cè‘pep0ds
”
or “ oar—feet.”
They are
'
all small,- the largest*=being under half an inch in length.
"
While there are :'very..many species included in the group
of copepods there” is one-that stands out far before all others“
in numbers and in importance in the chain of food organisms
that links the shes with the drifting plants.
This little
animal —is unfortunatelyunknown to mostpeople, because
it can only be caught with the aid of a tow-net, and when
_
captured is so small that it is regarded as insignicant.
_
But if ever ;an animal meted attention it is the small
,
copep0d 'WhiCh goes by the Latin‘name of Calanus n— -
marchicus (Plate
_It is unfortunate that it has no real
popular name of its own; but we shall call it in these
pages
“
Calanus " for short, in the hope that some day
Calanus Will be just such a common every-day“ expression
.
’
aaÏs'hrimp, crab, or prawn.
'
'
.
Calanus is an. inhabitant of the cold
where it forms One of the chief items of food ‘of-that most
important of all foodsh, the herring, and.is even sufcieny
_abüridant to aid in the building up of the enormous
bodies
of two of the Atlantic species of Whales, one of which has
_
been” described as “having been seen “ in still weather,
skimming on the surface of the water to take ina sortof
'
;
reddish' spawn Or brett; as some callit, that at times Will
lie on_the top of the water for a mile together.”
The spaWn
or brett is”, of course, the little“ copePod, Calanus, which
Ï
Îoccu—rs at timesfin‘ suchswatms as Sto colour the water,
—
—
wheno‘e it»has acquired the name fromshermen of ,“:red
_
feed.—’ ’— ' It will give you -some.ideâ. of the numbers of these
‘
little creatures i_f two examples are given of exceptionally
'_
ï
heavy catches. .In,theGulf,0f
t0wing'aconical
_
,
shapednet-yth a circular opening of one mètre diameter:
,
behind; -therboa“fbr fteeri minutes, over 2,
Calanus-_