Effect of food preservation on the grazing behavior and on the gut flora of the harpacticoid copepod Paramphiascella fulvofasciata

► Preservation status of diatoms effect feeding behavior of the harpacticoids. ► Freeze-dried diatoms are suitable food for harpacticoids. ► Maximum assimilation is found for mixed diet. ► Cell status causes shifts in gut flora of the grazers. ► Preserved food offers potential application for harpacticoid mass-rearing.