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- Title
Assimilation efficiency of Gammarus pseudolimnaeus (Amphipoda) feeding on fungal mycelium or autumn-shed leaves.
- Authors
Bärlocher, F.; Kendrick, B.
- Abstract
Dry weight, ash-free weight, protein and energy content of food and faeces of Gammarus pseudolimnaeus Bousfield on different diets were compared. When feeding on elm or maple leaves, approximatately 10% of the dry weight, 14-18% of the protein, and 17-19% of the energy of the ingested material was assimilated. When mycelium of various fungi which commonly decompose leaves in streams was offered, Gammarus assimilated 42.6-75.6 % of the dry weight, 73.3-96.4 % of the protein, and 61.9-43.27. of the energy of the food ingested. These results and the presumable preference of detritius-feeders for leaf areas with highes-hyphal concentrations indicate that the significance of fun gal substances in the diet of leaf-eating animals may be considerably higher than suggested by estimates of the average microbial biomass per unit weight of decomposing leaves.
- Subjects
GAMMARUS pseudolimnaeus; MYCELIUM; AMPHIPODA; BIOMASS; EVAPORATION (Chemistry); PARASITIC plants
- Publication
Oikos, 1975, Vol 26, Issue 1, p55
- ISSN
0030-1299
- Publication type
Article