Life-history analysis of copepods

• The life history of copepods (when born and when dead) is known for species distributed primarily in the surface layer (0-200 m).
  

• On the other hand, there is little information on the life history of copepods distributed in the middle layer (200-1000 m depth).
  
  

• Copepods, like other crustaceans, molts and grows. As the number of segments and legs increases with each molting, observing them reveals what stage of development of the species.
  
  

• Neutral copepods levels of Gaetanus variabilis appearing in planktonnet samples collected stratified up to a depth of 2000 m were counted at each developmental stage.
  

Life history schematic is provided by the American Marine Atmosphere Agency HP.

Above is a picture of the North Prius 6th (N1-N6) and Copopodite 6th (C1-C6) of copepods's Eucalanus bungii dominated off the coast of Kushiro on the same scale. In planktonnet, C1-C6 are mainly collected. C4-C6 are divided into males and females according to their morphology.