Length-weight regressions of the microcrustacean species from a tropical floodplain

aim: this study presents length-weight regressions adjusted for the most representative microcrustacean species and young stages of copepods from tropical lakes, together with a comparison of these results with estimates from the literature for tropical and temperate regions; methods: samples were taken from six isolated lakes, in summer and winter, using a motorized pump and plankton net. the dry weight of each size class (for cladocerans) or developmental stage (for copepods) was measured using an electronic microbalance; results: adjusted regressions were significant. we observed a trend of under-estimating the weights of smaller species and overestimating those of larger species, when using regressions obtained from temperate regions; conclusion: we must be cautious about using pooled regressions from the literature, preferring models of similar species, or weighing the organisms and building new models.