TITLE:
Intraguild (IARPG) and Interguild (IERPG) Zooplankton Predation in Lake Kinneret (Israel)
AUTHORS:
Moshe Gophen
KEYWORDS:
Cyclopoid Copepods, Cladocera, Rotifera, Predation, Kinneret
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Hydrology,
Vol.16 No.1,
December
23,
2025
ABSTRACT: Statistical evaluation of the long-term (1969-2001) record of zooplankton density (No./L) (including life cycle stages of Cyclopoid Copepods, Cladocera, and egg-carrying Rotifers) in Lake Kinneret involved weekly sampling at 7 stations and 7 - 10 discrete depths, which confirmed a significant decline over time. A hypothesis was proposed that this decline was mainly caused by the predator Cyclopoid, referred to as “Intraguild Predation” (IARPG). It was determined through correlation analysis between Cyclopoid Copepods, Cladocera life cycle stages and Cladocera species that the primary cause is fish predation, specifically “Interguild Predation” (IERPG). The effect of temperature was also examined.