ALBERT

Description: This paper deals with Euphausiacea collected in the upwelling region off Northwest Africa between Cap Blanc and Cap Mirik (Timiris) during the voyages 19 (1970) and 26 (1972) of the research vessel "Meteor". 20 species have been recorded, 4 of these dominate in the area under study. Euphttsia krohnii, Nematoscelis megalops and Thysanoessa gregaria are atlantic temperate species, whereas Nyctiphanes capensis inhabits neritic areas around the edge of the Banc d' Arguin, together with Euphausia hanseni from the Southern Atlantic. The population density of the euphausiids in the upwelling area is very high. The vertical distribution of the dominant species E. krohnii and N. megalops reveal significant differences. E. krohnii occurs down to a depth of 200 m, whereas N. megalops lives between 100 and 300 m. The shelf and the edge of the shelf (down to 2000 m) are populated by different species. On the shelf, adult and juvenile N. capensis predominate, but great numbers of juvenile N. megalops have also been found. Along the edge of the shelf E. krohnii, N. megalops and T. gregaria are most abundant. E. hanseni was represented by juveniles, both on the shelf and along its edge. Comparing the species composition of the area under study with that of other regions of the North Atlantic, the dominant species exhibit certain similarities with the species present near Cap Verde and Canary Island, but none similarities could be established with the Great Meteor Seamount. The reasons for this situation are discussed.