A COMPARISON OF CARBON BASED AMMONIA EXCRETION RATES BETWEEN GELATINOUS AND NONGELATINOUS ZOOPLANKTON - IMPLICATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES

About 560 literature data on weight-specific ammonia excretion rates of gelatinous zooplankton (cnidarians, ctenophores and salps) and non-gelatinous zooplankton (mainly crustacea) were converted to carbon based units to enabel a better comparison between both groups. If carbon is used as body-mass unit ammonia excretion rates of gelatinous zooplankton are in the same range as values obtained for other zooplankton taxa, indicating a similar nitrogen output per unit of organic matter in both groups. These results suggest nutrient regeneration potential to be the same in gelatinous and non-gelatinous zooplankton, and that nutrient regeneration within the pelagic system depends more upon the carbon biomass ratio between gelatinous and other zooplankton than on physiological differences. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.