Feeding behavior and temperature and light tolerance of Mysis relicta in the laboratory

Live specimens of Mysis relicta from Lake Michigan were held for one year in the laboratory to determine feeding behavior and tolerance to light and temperature. Mysids fed by moving with rapid, horizontal jerking motions toward food as it settled toward the bottom and by swimming slowly, upside down, to gather particles floating on the surface. Scavenging was common. Mysids tolerated considerably higher temperatures than previously reported. Temperature increases (from 5 C) of 1 C per day and 1 C per minute resulted in TL_m values of 20.5 C and 20.4 C, respectively. Mortality increased rapidly at temperatures above 13 C. The upper lethal limit for mysids acclimated to 5 C was about 22 C. Survival under continuous, high light intensity (32 foot-candles) was considerably higher than previously reported. Low water temperature (5 C) may have increased light tolerance.