Copepod Diet

Copepods are tiny crustaceans found in either fresh or salt water lakes and seas. Under a microscope, they may appear somewhat like shrimp and less than 1 mm in length. While some are free-swimming, doing what they can to catch food, many will attach themselves to fish and feed parasitically. There are over 4,500 different species of copepods, but the majority of them share a similar diet.

  1. Diet

    • Copepods have a small, but very important diet. It generally consists of microscopic algae, diatoms and even bacteria. Apart from these, a copepod diet may contain one of several other types of single-celled organisms floating in the water. What the copepod decides to feed on is determined by the "smell" acquired through the antennae. The addition of bacteria into copepod diets will usually decrease bacterial manifestation in smaller bodies of water, such as ponds and fish tanks, but this correlation is less noticeable within larger bodies of water. On the other hand, these algae-eating crustaceans make a great food source for fish and larger crustaceans. Their part in the cycle of marine life is fairly significant. For copepod owners, this note it very important. They should not be put in a tank with other fish or else they will be eaten right away. They may be kept in a bottle of some sort or even an empty goldfish bowl filled with water from another tank or straight seawater. The seawater will introduce more microscopic algae for the copepod to feed on, but dirty tank water will simulate the some type of micro organisms. In addition to the floating food, crushed up bits of high quality fish food tend to make a good food source for them.

    Feeding

    • More important then what they eat is how they eat. Copepods literally shovel food into their mouths, or mandibles, using a multitude of limbs and extremities. Starting with the first and second antennae, the copepod will push the food particles back into the mandible, which is located behind the second antenna on the bottom side of the "head," or cephlasome. Two other key limbs used in copepod feeding are the maxilla and maxillipeds. These are located behind the mandible and push food forward into the mandible. Once the food particles reach the mandible, or the copepod's jaw, it is then processed appropriately. The use of the antennae, the maxilla, and the maxillipeds gives the copepod a better area in which to gather food from as it floats by. Chances are if a copepod is fed in an aquarium, it will only need to be fed a few times per week at the most. Because of their size, a small fish pellet is a large feast to them, so refrain from overfeeding.