Abstract
Geographical variations in the numbers, biomass and production of euphausiids and the contribution of common species to the total are described from samples taken during 1966 and 1967 in the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea by the Continuous Plankton Recorder at 10 m depth. Euphausiids were most abundant in the central and western North Atlantic Ocean and the Norwegian Sea. Thysanoessa longicaudata (Krøyer) was numerically dominant. Biomass was greatest in the Norwegian Sea and the north-eastern North Sea where Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars) accounted for 81 and 59%, respectively, of the total biomass. Production was highest off Nova Scotia and in Iberian coastal waters; the dominant species were T. raschi (M. Sars) in the former area and Nyctiphanes couchi (Bell) in the latter. The mean P:B ratios were correlated with temperature.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Colebrook, J. M.: Continuous plankton records: seasonal cycles of phytoplankton and copepods in the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Mar. Biol. 51, 23–32 (1979)
Edinburgh Oceanographic Laboratory: Continuous plankton records: a plankton atlas of the North Atlantic and the North Sea. Bull. mar. Ecol. 7, 1–174 (1973)
Fowler, S. W., L. F. Small and S. Kečkeš: Effects of temperature and size on molting of euphausiid crustaceans. Mar. Biol. 11, 45–51 (1971)
Glover, R. S.: The continuous plankton recorder survey of the North Atlantic. Symp. zool. Soc. Lond. 19, 189–210 (1967)
Kulka, D. W., S. Corey and T. D. Isles. Community structure and biomass of euphausiids in the Bay of Fundy. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sciences 39, 326–334 (1982)
Lindley, J. A.: Continuous plankton records: the distribution of the Euphausiacea (Crustacea: Malacostraca) in the north Atlantic and the North Sea, 1966–1967. J. Biogeogr. 4, 121–133 (1977)
Lindley, J. A.: Population dynamics and production of euphausiids. I. Thysanoessa longicaudata in the North Atlantic Ocean. Mar. Biol. 46, 121–130 (1978)
Lindley, J. A.: Population dynamics and production of euphausiids. II. Thysanoessa inermis and T. raschi in the North Sea and American coastal waters. Mar. Biol. 59, 225–233 (1980)
Lindley, J. A.: Population dynamics and production of euphausiids. III. Meganyctiphanes norvegica and Nyctiphanes couchi in the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Mar. Biol. 66, 37–46 (1982a)
Lindley, J. A.: Population dynamics and production of euphausiids. IV. Euphausia krohni, Nematoscelis megalops and Thysanoessa gregaria, and eight rare species in the North Atlantic Ocean. Mar. Biol. 71, 1–6 (1982b)
Mauchline, J.: The biology of mysids and euphausiids. Adv. mar. Biol. 18, 1–681 (1980)
Mauchline, J. and L. R. Fisher: The biology of euphausiids. Adv. mar. Biol. 7, 1–454 (1969)
Sameoto, D. D.: Respiration rates, energy budgets and moulting frequencies of three species of euphausiids found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 33, 2568–2576 (1976)
Williams, R. and J. A. Lindley: Variability in abundance, vertical distribution and ontogenetic migrations of Thysanoessa longicaudata (Crustacea: Euphausiacea) in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean. Mar. Biol. 69, 321–330 (1982)
Wooster, W. S., A. Bakum and D. R. McLain: The seasonal upwelling cycle along the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic. J. mar. Res. 34, 131–141 (1976)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J. Mauchline, Oban
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lindley, J.A. Continuous plankton records: Geographical variations in numerical abundance, biomass and production of euphausiids in the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Mar. Biol. 71, 7–10 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00396986
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00396986