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| Edible Zooplankton |
Large zooplankton (water fleas) returned to Diamond Lake in 2007 in record numbers, eating much of the algae and providing abundant food for trout. Prior to the rotenone treatment, nearly all large crustacean zooplankton had been eaten by the tui chub. The zooplankton population consisted almost entirely of rotifers (the smallest zooplankton).
With the removal of the chub, large cladocerans (water fleas) and copepods returned in great abundance. In particular, Daphnia pulicaria and D. rosea, which were absent in 2006, became very abundant following the hatch in spring 2007. See the graph, below, and a picture of a water sample full of zooplankton, below.
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| Edible Zooplankton |
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