content of the feces, while light and dissolved organic matter stimulated 

 the growth of autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms. 



It is estimated that the rate of incorporation of organic matter 

 into fecal pellets in the sea exceeds the rate of incorporation of 

 organic matter into herbivore tissue and that fecal pellets therefore 

 constitute a major potential food source for marine animals. (A. A.) 



Keywords: nutritive value, fecal pellets, marine crustaceans, energy 

 flow 



143 



