Effect of food and sediment pre-treatment in experiments with a deposit-feeding amphipod, Monoporeia affinis.

We experimentally investigated the effects of different pre-treatments of the sediment, and the effect of daily addition of fresh phytoplankton, on the growth and survival of 1-year-old (1+) individuals of the deposit feeder Monoporeia affinis (Amphipoda). We used three different types of sieved sediment: pre-frozen muddy clay, non-pre-frozen muddy clay, and fine sand. The muddy clay contained phytoplankton originating from the surface sediment sampled in the field during the late spring bloom. No phytoplankton was initially present in sand. The experiment lasted for 18 days. M. affinis responded to the daily phytoplankton addition by increasing growth. Phytoplankton addition had no significant effects on the survival of M. affinis. Upon phytoplankton addition, the sandy and non-frozen muddy clay gave similar growth and survival responses. In contrast, the pre-frozen sediment resulted in significantly lower growth and survival. The growth was negative in all treatments without phytoplankton. Thus, the high initial chlorophyll content in the muddy clay was not of sufficient quality or concentration to allow a positive growth response in M. affinis. The growth of M. affinis was significantly correlated with the reduction of the chlorophyll. Our results indicated that M. affinis is capable of assimilating settled phytoplankton with no, or only a few days' time delay.