Egg size and composition in Ceratoserolis (Crustacea: Isopoda) from the Weddell Sea

Summary Samples of ovigerous female Ceratoserolis trilobitoides carrying newly spawned (stage A1) eggs in the marsupium were obtained from Borge Bay; Signy Island (South Orkney Islands), the continental shelf near Elephant Island (South Shetland Islands), and two sites in the inner Weddell Sea. The dry mass of a newly spawned egg was greater at the inner Weddell Sea sites even when the larger size of the females from the Weddell Sea and the positive relationship between egg size and female size were taken into account. Larger eggs contained more yolk, and there was a slight but significant tendency for larger eggs to have a lower percentage nitrogen content. Eggs from Ceratoserolis meridionalis were smaller in size than sympatric Ceratoserolis trilobitoides, but of similar composition. The reason for a greater investment per egg by females at higher latitudes is not clear, but it may be related to a slightly longer development period, itself associated with the lower water temperatures in the inner Weddell Sea.Data presented here were collected during the European Polarstern Study (EPOS) sponsored by the European Science Foundation     

Phenetic analysis of populations of Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt, 1833) (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea)

The cosmopolitan species, Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt, 1833), exhibited a geographical variation of its morphological features and its reproduction pattern. In fact, some Tunisian populations had a seasonal reproductive period and other ones showed a reproductive activity. A phenetic analysis has been performed to compare populations belonging to P. pruinosus from different geographical localities. For this, nineteen quantitative characters in 800 specimens of P. pruinosus issued from nine populations located in the North, the Centre, and the South of Tunisia, and one population from Athens (Greece) were studied. These populations were characterized by different reproductive behaviours. The populations of Tabarka, Korba, and Tamerza showed reproductive activity, whereas those of Garat Naam, Raccada, Sahline, Gafsa, Rdayef, Gabès, and Athens exhibited a seasonal reproductive period. The variability of the first three axes of the principal components analysis (PCA) and their significance showed an intraspecific variability structure. The graphical representation of the population's dispersion generated by the two first axes (63.55% of the total variability) revealed a great heterogeneity among females of the different populations of P. pruinosus. The Garat Naam population was set apart from the other ones by its cephalic width and length and also by its apophysis length. Furthermore, cephalic and uropod length separated the Garat Naam and Tabarka populations. The dendrogram, based on Euclidean coordinates, confirms an isolation of the populations of Tabarka and Garat Naam, exhibiting respectively reproductive activity and seasonal reproduction. However, the other populations do not show any relationship with the reproduction behaviour. They were clustered in two groups. The first one is represented by the populations of the Southeast and the West of Tunisia. The second pooled the populations of the Northeast and the Centre of Tunisia with the population of Athens (Greece). Phenetic analysis of Tunisian populations exhibits an important heterogeneity, which is worth noting. Thus, we need to complete and deepen this study by genetic analysis and crossbreeding tests in order to define the taxonomic status of these populations.     

Marsupium morphology and brooding biology of the Antarctic giant isopod,Glyptonotus antarcticus Eights 1853 (Crustacea,Isopoda, Chaetiliidae)

The marsupium of the Antarctic giant isopod, Glyptonotus antarcticus Eights 1853, has unique characteristics. It deviates in its proportions and construction from the so called Idotea type of brood pouch found in other marine isopod species; some features even remind you of the so called Porcellio type of marsupium which is typical of terrestrial isopods. Details are described by scanning electron microscopy. From our observations and from reviewed data, we suggest that, during the prolonged incubation of brood, adelphophagy contributes to the nourishment of the developing young, and assume that additional nutrition is provided by maternal secretion. These suggestions would partly explain marsupial conditions in G. antarcticus as an adaptation to slow development in an adverse environment. Two species of epizoa, a turbellarian and a fish leech, were found to occur on G. anarcticus in the vicinity of the marsupium.Contribution No. 561 of the Alfred-Wegener-Institute of Polar and Marine Research (AWI Bremerhaven)     

Protognathia n. gen. bathypelagica (Schultz, 1977) rediscovered in the Weddell Sea: A missing link between the Gnathiidae and the Cirolanidae (Crustacea,Isopoda)

Summary A new genus (Protognathia) and family (Protognathiidae) are described for Cirolana bathypelagica Schultz, 1977. The morphology of this unique species proves that the Gnathiidae are closely related to the Cirolanidae. The characters of P. bathypelagica are intermediate between the carnivorous cirolanids and the highly specialized gnathiid fish parasites.Abbreviations used in text and figures A 1,2 antenna 1,2 - Md mandible - Mx1 maxilla 1 - Mxp maxilliped - P 1-6 pereopods 1-6 - Plp 1-5 pleopods 1-5 - Tel telson - Urp uropod     

The distribution of Asellus aquaticus and A. meridianus (Crustacea, Isopoda) in Britain

SUMMARY. Asellus aquaticus and A. meridianus are freshwater isopods common more or less throughout Britain. It has been suggested that the former species is replacing the latter. To investigate this, the distributions of the species were determined in the English Lake District, near Merseyside, and elsewhere. Additionally, some field transference experiments were conducted in Anglesey and near Merseyside. Particular attention was given to changes in distribution with time; many of the observations reported relate to a time span of almost 20 years. Taken together, the results provide qualified support for the suggestion that A. aquaticus is replacing A. meridianus .     

Seasonal variation in the distribution and abundance of Oithona and Oncaea species (Copepoda,Crustacea) in the southeastern Weddell Sea,Antarctica

The coupling between the seasonal distribution of dominant Oithonidae and Oncaeidae and the prevailing environmental conditions in the eastern Weddell Sea was investigated. In samples from February, a community on the shelf and in the oceanic surface layer, consisting mainly of Oithona similis and Oncaea curvata and juveniles of both genera, could be differentiated from a community found in deeper oceanic waters, consisting of Oithona frigida, Oncaea parila, Oncaea antarctica and Oncaea englishi. In November the differences in the species distribution between the two regions were less pronounced and the abundances of all species were much lower than earlier in the year. The dominant species were Oithona similis, which reached abundances of up to 182/m³ in February, and Oncaea curvata with up to 215/m³. Deeper living species were comparatively rare. Oithona similis occurred mainly in the top 200 m during both seasons. The other species, by contrast, were generally deeper and more dispersed through the water column in late winter than in summer.     

Shrimp (Decapoda,Natantia) occurrence and distribution in the eastern Weddell Sea,Antarctica

Summary 108 successful ground and Agassiz trawl catches were taken between 155 and 2031 m depth in the eastern Weddell Sea on board RV Polarstern in spring and summer (October–February) 1985–1989. In addition, 7 hauls were taken with a semipelagic trawl. Only 19 hauls (16.5%) contained no shrimps. The others yielded large numbers of Notocrangon antarcticus, Chorismus antarcticus, and Nematocarcinus lanceopes as well as 20 Lebbeus antarcticus and 11 specimens of an Eualus species new to science. 8 Pasiphaea scotiae were caught in a pelagic krill trawl. No reptant decapod crustaceans were detected in the study area. Shrimp densities determined from trawl catches were lower than estimates derived from underwater photography but in the same order of magnitude. Although yields of the three common shrimp species in some cases exceeded 20 kg per 0.5 h haul, shrimp stocks in the area cannot be considered to be of commercial significance. A wider geographical distribution and greater frequency of shrimps in high Antarctic waters was found than described hitherto. There was considerable variation in numbers, sex composition, occurrence at different depths, and size-frequency distributions. C. antarcticus and N. antarcticus grow to a larger size compared with individuals from the Antarctic Peninsula area. Within the area of investigation, length frequency distributions are skewed towards larger sizes at higher latitudes. In the eastern Weddell Sea larger specimens of the three common species live at greater depths than smaller individuals. Potential reasons for these differences are discussed.AWI Publication No. 124     

First record of a lecithotrophic nauplius in Harpacticoida (Crustacea,Copepoda) collected from the Weddell Sea (Antarctica)

Summary During an investigation of the meiofauna communities of the eastern Weddell Sea (Antarctica) the first naupliar stage of a new species of Pseudotachidius T. Scott, 1897 (Thalestridae) was held in culture on board R V Polarstern. These nauplii are extraordinary for a harpacticoid copepod in being globular in shape and densely filled with yolk. They lack mouth, gut tube, anus and the masticatory parts of the appendages, all of which indicate that they do not feed. It is not unlikely that later stages are also able to subsist safely on the large yolk reserves.     

Winter distribution and overwintering strategies of the Antarctic copepod species Calanoides acutus,Rhincalanus gigas and Calanus propinquus (Crustacea,Calanoida) in the Weddell Sea

During the Winter Weddell Gyre Study in September–October 1989, the horizontal and vertical distribution, stage composition and feeding condition of the three antarctic copepod species Calanoides acutus, Rhincalanus gigas and Calanus propinquus were studied. The data indicate that C. acutus and R. gigas have the bases of their distributional ranges (sensu Makarov et al. 1982) in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and in the Warm Deep Water (WDW) entering the Weddell Gyre (WG). C. propinquus lived mainly in the cold WG south of the ACC. C. acutus overwintered mainly in the WG as stage IV copepodites (C). The species mainly inhabited the layers below the T_max stratum and down to 2000 m, but C V and females occurred slightly higher than C III and IV. Males prevailed over females and were confined to a rather narrow layer between 500 and 1000 m. Feeding experiments suggested all deep-living stages to be resting. However, if this species spawns in late autumn the younger C I–II can stay in the Winter Water (WW). R. gigas inhabited mainly the T_max stratum. In the eastern part of the WG, R. gigas breed in the WDW in autumn and hibernate as C I–III and C V–VI in the first and second winter, respectively. In the ACC zone, however, its life cycle is different and winter breeding of overwintered adults occurs. Most of the C. propinquus population overwintered in the WG as C III–V, inhabiting the WW. In the upper water layers in the interior of the WG, C III dominated with upto 18,000 individuals 1,000 m³. Shallow living C. propinquus were in the active, feeding state. Persistence of active feeding zooplankton populations in the WW of the WG can be an important factor influencing processes of phytoplankton development and the particle flux.     

Note on the Arcturidae from the Weddetl Sea and description of Antarcturus hempeli sp.n. (Crustacea, Isopoda, Valvifera)

New localities of several arcturids are reported from the Atlantic sector of the Antarctic Ocean. Antarcturus hempeli sp.n. is described and drawings from type material of the following species are presented: Antarcturus furcatus (Studer, 1882), A. polaris (Hodgson, 1902), A. glacialis (Beddard, 1886). A granulosus Nordenstam, 1933, A. antarcticus Bouvier, 1910, A. lillei Tattersall, 1920, A. coppingeri (Miers, 1881), A. hodgsoni Richardson, 1913. Of the 37 species known from the studied area only 6 occur in the high Antarctic Weddell Sea. It is suspected that the semi-sessile way of life yielded the evolution of many local species and races.     

Vertical distribution and abundance of juvenile chaetognaths in the Weddell Sea (Antarctica)

The composition, abundance and vertical distribution of chaetognaths were analysed along a transect in the Weddell Sea during late spring. Three species were identified: Eukrohnia hamata (90.8%), Sagitta marri (6.4%) and S. gazellae (2.8%). Only juvenile stages were collected in the samples, a result related both to the type of sampling gear employed (mesh size: 100 μm) and the species' life-cycles. The vertical distributions showed that the juvenile stages of these species tended to aggregate at considerable depth (1000–500 m). It is postulated that this pattern may be related to the life-cycles of these species in association with seasonal Antarctic conditions, similar to the pattern postulated for krill and other polar crustaceans. Accepted: 10 July 2000     

Amorphous and crystalline calcium carbonate distribution in the tergite cuticle of moulting Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Crustacea)

The main mineral components of the isopod cuticle consists of crystalline magnesium calcite and amorphous calcium carbonate. During moulting isopods moult first the posterior and then the anterior half of the body. In terrestrial species calcium carbonate is subject to resorption, storage and recycling in order to retain significant fractions of the mineral during the moulting cycle. We used synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, elemental analysis and Raman spectroscopy to quantify the ACC/calcite ratio, the mineral phase distribution and the composition within the anterior and posterior tergite cuticle during eight different stages of the moulting cycle of Porcellio scaber. The results show that most of the amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) is resorbed from the cuticle, whereas calcite remains in the old cuticle and is shed during moulting. During premoult resorption of ACC from the posterior cuticle is accompanied by an increase within the anterior tergites, and mineralization of the new posterior cuticle by resorption of mineral from the anterior cuticle. This suggests that one reason for using ACC in cuticle mineralization is to facilitate resorption and recycling of cuticular calcium carbonate. Furthermore we show that ACC precedes the formation of calcite in distal layers of the tergite cuticle.     

Morphology and evolution of respiratory structures in the pleopod exopodites of terrestrial Isopoda (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea)

The morphology of the respiratory structures located in the pleopod exopodites of terrestrial Isopoda is described for representative species of different genera. Special emphasis is set on the evolution of these lungs in the context of phylogenetic relationships as revealed by other morphological characters. In the most primitive species of the Oniscidea, and still of subordinate taxa of the Crinocheta, respiration takes place in the thin ventral integument of the exopodites. The evolution of dorsal respiratory fields with a weakly wrinkled surface occurred at least six times within the Crinocheta. In five of these cases, a further development can be observed. The evolution of a partly covered respiratory field with strongly wrinkled surface may have taken place six times. It is assumed that completely internalized lungs with spiracles surrounded by a water‐repellent surface microsculpture, evolved at least six times independently within the Oniscidea: in the Tylidae, Actaecia, Aphiloscia, the Eubelidae, the Armadillidae and in a taxon probably comprising Porcellionidae plus Armadillidiidae.     

The assimilation efficiency of Asellus aquaticus L. (Crustacea, Isopoda)

(1) Comparative studies of the ash-ratio and gravimetric methods of determining assimilation efficiency in Asellus aquaticus showed that the differential use of minerals by this species rendered the ash-ratio method unreliable. Results obtained by the gravimetric method were therefore employed in the analysis of further experiments. (2) The assimilation efficiencies estimated for A. aquaticus ranged between 26 and 44%, and varied according to population density and reproductive condition. (3) Individual winter males had a significantly lower assimilation efficiency (26%) than grouped animals (35%), but the assimilation efficiency of summer males (33%) did not differ significantly from that of winter males at the same density. It is concluded that density affects assimilation efficiency in A. aquaticus. (4) The assimilation efficiency of summer males (33 %) is significantly different from that of summer females (non-ovigerous, 41 %; ovigerous, 44%). A mean assimilation efficiency of 40% is proposed for the summer period whereas an overall annual mean of 30% is suggested. (5) Despite the various assimilation efficiencies reported within any one season consumption rate per unit weight is fairly constant (winter, 0·04–0·05 cal/24 h; summer, 0·36–0·38 cal/24 h) and it is suggested that the different assimilation rates are a mechanism whereby the additional energy and material requirements of females for breeding can be met without increasing food intake.     

The distribution of zinc,cadmium, lead and copper within the woodlouse Oniscus asellus (Crustacea,Isopoda)

Summary The concentrations of zinc, cadmium, lead and copper have been determined in the hepatopancreas, hindgut and rest of the body tissues of Oniscus asellus collected from eight sites in the U.K. The hepatopancreas is by far the most important storage organ of heavy metals, particularly cadmium, and at each site, contains a mean of at least 89% of the total body load of this element. Specimens of Oniscus asellus from contaminated sites may contain concentrations of zinc, cadmium, lead and copper in the hepatopancreas of about 1%, 0.5%, 2.5% and 3% of the dry weight respectively, which are among the highest so far recorded in the soft tissues of any animal.There is a significant positive correlation between the mean relative dry weight of the hepatopancreas of Oniscus asellus and the concentrations of zinc or cadmium in leaf litter from all eight sites. It is suggested that animals from sites which are contaminated heavily with zinc or cadmium have a large hepatopancreas because this enables them to de-toxify a greater amount of the metal.     

GATA repeats in the genome of Asellus aquaticus (Crustacea,Isopoda)

A 500 bp fragment of Drosophila genomic DNA containing 37 copies of the tetranucleotide GATA was used to probe, by Southern DNA blotting and in situ hybridization, two natural populations of the isopod crustacean Asellus aquaticus collected from the Sarno and Tiber rivers. This species does not have a recognizable sex chromosome pair. In a number of males from the Sarno population chromomycin A₃ staining reveals a heteromorphic chromosome pair. The heterochromosome has two blocks of heterochromatin. After digestion of genomic DNA with six restriction endonucleases and hybridization with the GATA probe, the two populations exhibit different fragment length patterns. No sex-linked pattern was observed in either population. In situ hybridization to chromosomes of males and females from the Sarno population does not reveal any sex-specific pattern of labelling and indicates a scattered distribution of GATA sequences on most chromosomes with some areas of preferential concentration. The heterochromatic arcas of the male heterochromosome are not labelled.by E.R. Schmidt     

On the reproductive biology of Ceratoserolis trilobitoides (crustacea: isopoda): Latitudinal variation of fecundity and embryonic development

Summary The embryonic development of Ceratoserolis trilobitoides (Crustacea: Isopoda) is described. It is estimated that breeding lasts nearly 2 years. In comparison with non-polar isopods 3 causes for the retardation of embryonic development are discussed: genetically fixed adaptations to the polar environment, the physiological effect of temperature and the effect of egg size. The latter seems to be of minor importance. Intraspecific variations of fecundity are found in populations from the Weddell Sea, the largest eggs occur in the coldest region. The distribution of physiological races corresponds to the distribution of morphotypes.     

Biodiversity and distribution of the genus Gromia (Protista, Rhizaria) in the deep Weddell Sea (Southern Ocean)

We present a survey of morphospecies of Gromia, a genus of testate protists, from bathyal and abyssal depths in the Weddell Sea and adjacent areas of the Southern Ocean. This material represents the most extensive and diverse available collection of deep-sea gromiids so far recorded. The twelve species, nine of which are undescribed, are recognized on the basis of morphological criteria, including the test size and shape, the appearance and structure of the oral capsule, and the characteristics of the test wall. Most species have a single oral capsule, which is circular in plan view with a conical nipple-like shape in lateral view. One morphospecies has three oral capsules. The appearance and structure of the wall displays great variability among Gromia species, ranging from very delicate and transparent with highly reflective highlights to relatively thick with distinct patterns of ridges covering the surface. More often, however, differences in wall structure are more subtle. Most morphospecies were distributed at bathyal depths along the continental margin, but one was sampled at ~4,800 m, representing the first record of an abyssal gromiid. Concurrent with findings from other regions of the World’s oceans, the Weddell Sea gromiids were mostly found in surficial sediments in areas of elevated organic input, suggesting that deep-sea gromiids are likely to play an important role in carbon cycling in bathyal eutrophic regions through the ingestion and degradation of fresh organic matter.