Abstract

The calanoids copepods are abundant in zooplankton assemblages in Patagonian inland waters, and within context the aim of determine the fertility parameters on populations of copepods representative of different inland water of Chilean Patagonia (37°-52° S). For this purpose, it was considered two to four populations of the the following species: Boeckella gracilipes, B. michaelseni, B. poppei, and Tumeodiaptomus diabolicus, it was considered for female individuals the total length, eggs number, and ratio between total length. The results revealed at species level that B. poppei was signifi cantly different in comparison to another species in all of the three species. At populations level it was found differences in three species considered. The results revealed that the reproductive parameters are variable in function of the environmental conditions of the populations. The results denoted that the reproductive parameters are markedly influenced by environmental conditions, and it would be associated with ecological consequences such as populational structures and properties of zooplankton community ecology.