Population parameters of Pleopis polyphemoides (Crustacea, Cladocera) in a tropical bay

Populations of Pleopis polyphemoides were studied in Guanabara Bay, southeastern Brazil, to assess temporal variations in density and population parameters. The abundance of P. polyphemoides varied widely during summer, and collapsed in fall–winter. These variations probably resulted from the combined effects of water temperature and predation pressure. It is assumed that the planktonic population began by hatching from resting eggs, while the collapse of the planktonic population in April seemed to be related to lower temperatures and high densities of predatory chaetognaths. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]