Feeding appendages of the Euphausiacea (Crustacea)

The Euphausiacea comprises about 85 species and the structure of the feeding appendages of 68 of these species is discussed here. A considerable uniformity is apparent in the appendages throughout the order but generic, and even in some cases, specific differences are evident. It is concluded from the study of the morphology of the appendages and the analyses of stomach contents that the majority of species in the genera Bentheuphwsia, Thysanopoda, Meganyctiphanes, Nyctiphanes, Pseudeuphausia, Euphausia, Tessara-brachion and Thysanoessa are omnivorous; that is, they can feed by filtering material from the water and act as predators of small zooplankton, especially copepods. Species in the genera Nematoscelis, Nematobrachion and Stylocheiron can feed on bottom deposits and also by predation of zooplankton but the amount of filter-feeding which they do may be limited because their mouthparts are not so well adapted for filtering as those of the previous group of genera.
It is suggested, from the study of the appendages and several other features of the animals, that the genera Thysanopoda, Meganyctiphanes, and Euphausia are closely related to one another and that a similar relationship exists between the genera Nematoscelis, Nematobrachion and Stylocherion. The genera Nyctiphanes and Pseudeuphausia are probably more closely related to the Thysanopoda group of genera and the genera Tessarabrachion and Thysanoessa to the Nematoscelis group of genera.     

Vertical distributions, diel and ontogenetic vertical migrations and net avoidance of leptocephali of Anguilla and other common species in the Sargasso Sea

Day- and night-time vertical distributions and their ontogeneticchanges in Anguilla leptocephali and other common species ofleptocephali were determined and compared during five cruisesin the Sargasso Sea using an opening - closing 2-m ring netto sample discrete depth strata between 0 m and 350 m deep.No difference in vertical distribution was ever found betweenAnguilla rostrata (American eel) and A. anguilla (European eel).Anguilla leptocephali <5 mm long did not exhibit a diel verticalmigration, as they were distributed between 50 m and 300 m bothby day and by night. The vertical distribution of these smalllepto-cephali is probably roughly representative of the depthdistribution of adult spawning. Anguilla     

Vertical migration and feeding of Euphausia lucens (Euphausiacea) in the Southern Benguela

Diel migration and feeding were examined for populations ofEuphausia lucens living in the near- and offshore waters ofthe southern Benguela. Euphausiids at both stations displayednocturnal diel vertical migration patterns. Animals inshoreascended in a slow-fast-slow manner which seems to be relatedto differential food concentrations throughout the water columnPronounced quantitative and qualitative changes in the dietof E.lucens were observed offshore but not inshore. These differencesare discussed in relation to different ambient food environments     

Untersuchungen zur Zoogeographie der Euphausiaceen (Crustacea) des Roten Meeres

A joint programme on “Biota of the Red Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean” has been carried out by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Smithsonian Institution of Washington between 1967 and 1972 in order to study the role played by the Suez Canal as a route for faunal exchanges between the Red Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. The euphausiids of this material have been examined and additional samples of zooplankton have been taken in the Gulf of Elat (Aqaba) in 1973 in order to study the vertical distribution of the euphausiids. Four species have been found to occur in the Northern Red Sea and the Gulf of Elat:Euphausia diomedeae, E. sanzoi, Stylocheiron affine andS. abbreviatum. Seven species were found in the Eastern Mediterranean of whichEuphausia brevis is the dominant species. The present studies revealed that an exchange of Euphausiacea through the Suez Canal does not take place. The species of the Red Sea belong to the Indopacific fauna. Despite the particular historic-geographical and ecological situation of the Red Sea, no endemisms or subspecies have evolved there within the Euphausiacea.     

DNA barcodes for species identification of euphausiids (Euphausiacea, Crustacea)

Many species of euphausiids (Euphausiacea, Crustacea) are distinguishedby subtle or geographically variable morphological characters,and erroneous identification of euphausiid species may be morefrequent than currently acknowledged. DNA barcodes (short DNAsequences that discriminate species and aid in recognition ofunknown species) are of use for this group. A 650 bp regionof mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) was sequencedfor 40 species of 10 euphausiid genera: Bentheuphausia, Euphausia,Meganyctiphanes, Nematobrachion, Nematoscelis, Nyctiphanes,Stylocheiron, Tessarabrachion, Thyssanoessa and Thysanopoda.mtCOI sequence variation discriminated all species; pairwisedifferences averaged 16.4% (range 7–24%); mean generalizedtime reversible (GTR) genetic distance was 26.7%. mtCOI reliablyidentified euphausiid species: variation within species wastypically < 1% and GTR distance was typically < 2%. Atlanticand Pacific Ocean populations of Euphausia brevis differed by13% (GTR genetic distance = 28%) and may deserve status as distinctspecies. mtCOI gene trees were reconstructed for five generausing maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian algorithms;best-fit models of nucleotide evolution were determined foreach genus. The mtCOI gene tree for 20 species of Euphausiareproduced one of three morphologically defined species groups.mtCOI resolved relationships among closely related species ofmost genera, usually in accord with morphological groupings.A comprehensive DNA barcode database for euphausiids will helpensure accurate species identification, recognition of crypticspecies and evaluation of taxonomically meaningful geographicvariation.     

Environmental factors influencing diurnal distribution of zooplankton and ichthyoplankton

The diurnal vertical distribution of a large number of speciesof zooplankton, icbthyoplankton and micronekton were determinedin the top 150 m in three locations in the Shelf Water, on theNova Scotia Shelf, and Slope and on Georges Bank during springand fall periods. Species were categorized as to their trophiclevel and their type of diurnal migration behaviour. The influenceof temperature, salinity, and water density on the diurnal verticaldistribution of the species was examined. Temperature was foundto have the greatest influence on the distribution of the largestnumber of species. Diurnal migration behavior of the same speciesin Shelf and Slope water and at different times of the yearwas examined. Results showed that species changed their behaviorin the two water masses, while some species changed their migrationbehavior at different times of the year. During the night inApril the most abundant copepod species, Calanus finmarchicus,making up about 80% of the biomass, was found concentrated abovethe thermocline and the main chlorophyll layer. The majorityof the less abundant species of copepods were found below thethermocline and the chlorophyll layer. At night in August thetwo most abundant copepod species, Centropoger typicus and Paracalanusparvus, making up at least 80% of the zooplankton biomass, werealso concentrated above the thermocline and the main chlorophyllLayer. Three species of copepods were concentrated at the depthof the main chlorophyll layer and two species were concentratedbelow the chlorophyll layer and thermocline. The vertical distributionof other zooplankton and ichthyoplankton species was examinedin relation to the thermocline and chlorophyll layer. Relationshipsbetween concentrations of six species of fish larvae and allspecies of copepods in the same samples showed a general increasein the numbers of larvae m^–3 as the numbers of copepodsm^–3 increased in a range of 500–4000 m^–3.However, the concentration of Merluccius bilinearis decreasedas the concentration of copepods exceeded 4000 m^–3 suggestingthat high concentrations of copepods may not be a favourableenvironment for the larvae.     

The diel migrations and vertical distributions of zooplankton and micronekton in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. 1. Euphausiids, mysids, decapods and fishes

Vertical distributions and diel migrations of the main speciesof micronekton, four euphausiids, one mysid, one decapod andthree fishes, were described in detail in the 0–1000 mwater column on a fixed station in the Northwestern MediterraneanSea. The euphausiids Euphausia krohni and Thysanopoda aequalis,the decapod Gennadas elegans and, to a lesser extent, the fishArgyropelecus hemigymnus were shown to perform clear diel verticalmigrations. Results of horizontal hauls at a given depth aroundsunrise and sunset showed a marked diurnal symmetry of the migratorycycles, particularly for E.krohni, T.aequalis and G.elegans.The behaviour of the euphausiid Nematoscelis megalops was morecomplex: it presented a repetitive bimodal day distributionand only part of its population migrated. As very weak or non-migratorswe found the euphausiid Stylocheiron longicorne and the bathypelagicmysid Eucopia unguiculata, for which migration concerned onlysome of the older individuals. The fishes Cyclothone braueriand Cyclothone pygmaea appeared to be non-migrants. As depthincreased, C.braueri was replaced by C.pygmaea, with maximumconcentrations at 350–550 and 550–700 m depth, respectively.     

Diurnal courses of ammonium net uptake by the roots of adult beech (Fagus sylvatica) and spruce (Picea abies) trees

Differences in ammonium net uptake by the roots of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) trees between day and night were examined during the growing seasons in 1995 and 1996 using the depletion technique. In addition, diurnal courses of ammonium net uptake of both species were analysed in five sets of uptake experiments in May and September 1997 and were related (1) to the content of carbohydrates, organic acids and total soluble non protein N (TSNN) in the fine roots, and (2) to xylem flow densities and soil temperature. During the growing seasons 1995 and 1996, ammonium net uptake of beech was significantly lower during the night than during the day at 5 of 8 dates of measurement. On average, uptake rates during the night amounted to 50% of the uptake rates during the day. In spruce, the mean values of ammonium net uptake rates determined were similar between day and night during both growing seasons. In beech, the assessment of diurnal courses showed highest ammonium uptake rates during noon and in the afternoon and minima at midnight. In May 1997, comparable, but less pronounced diurnal patterns of ammonium uptake were observed in spruce, whereas in September 1997, ammonium uptake by spruce was constant during the day. Since no distinct differences in carbohydrate and organic acid contents in fine roots were observed during the diurnal courses and since the addition of sucrose into the artificial soil solutions root tips were exposed to did not alter ammonium uptake, depression of uptake by C- and/or energy limitation during night could be excluded. The TSNN contents in the fine roots of beech (May and September 1997) and spruce (May 1997) showed a diurnal pattern inverse to ammonium uptake. It is concluded that the enrichment of TSNN compounds during night that is apparently caused by a reduction of xylem transport is responsible for the down-regulation of ammonium net-uptake.     

Breeding in the monsoon: semi-annual reproduction in the Seychelles warbler ( Acrocephalus sechellensis )

Despite the absence of pronounced changes in day length, there is considerable climatological seasonality in the tropics. Its expression can be complex like in the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean Islands. The land mass distribution on both sides of the equator leads to seasonal changes in prevailing wind direction and seasonal patterns in food supply, which are distinct between different coasts. Here we assess that territory quality of the Seychelles warbler, endemic to the small island of Cousin peaks during the South East monsoon (April to September) in most of the island. The Southeastern wind-exposed side is exceptional by being generally poor and having slightly increased food supply in the opposite season (NW monsoon; October to March). In response, the warblers in most territories breed primarily during the SE season, while on the SE shores they tend to breed in both seasons. The result is a semi-annual periodicity in breeding. Individual pairs can breed in 6 months intervals. In the poorer territories on the SE shore most of them indeed do this, while in the richer central habitats most pairs restrict themselves to the best (SE) season. The frequency of breeding thereby increases with territory quality in the SE season, and decreases with quality in the NW season. Withholding from breeding in the NW season despite the high food supply may have long-term advantages for the birds occupying the richer habitat. Such flexible adjustment of seasonality to local circumstances requires not only an immediate response mechanism but also access to accurate information about time of year. The subtle sensitivity of tropical songbirds to photoperiod, demonstrated so convincingly by Eberhard Gwinner (Biological rhythms, Hokkaido University Press, Sapporo, pp19–40, 2005), may well have profound adaptive meaning in taking temporally optimized reproductive decisions in response to both food and time of year.

Euphausiids (Crustacea: Melacostraca) from the southern Mexican Caribbean Sea

The composition, abundance and distribution of euphausiids from the southern part of the Mexican Caribbean Sea (August 1986) were sampled during the ARCOMM I cruise on board the R/V "Justo Sierra" of UNAM. Sampling was done using a Bongo-net (0.5 mm mesh size) performing oblique hauls from 200 m to the surface at 28 stations. Of the total euphausiid numbers, the most abundant species was Stylocheiron carinatum (49%), followed by Euphausia americana (9.8%) and E. tenera with (7.8%). The highest total density and that of the three most abundant species occurred during the night sampling, and probably was related to vertical migration patterns. The Bray-Curtis index revealed three station assemblages, related to the day-night variations of the euphausiid community. Species were distributed mainly in the oceanic area, and were absent in the neritic zones. The local fauna shows a strong affinity for the euphausiid community of the Gulf of Mexico and other areas of the Caribbean Sea. Four species are considered to be new records for the western Caribbean Sea.     

Short-term changes in the mesozooplanktonic community in theSeine ROFI (Region of Freshwater Influence)(eastern English Channel)

Discrete-depth, hourly mesozooplankton samples were collectedover a 92 h period in May 1992 at an anchor station within theSeine Region of Freshwater Influence (ROFI) (English Channel).The mesozooplankton community defined as a euryhaline marineassemblage was dominated by the calanoid copepods Acartia spp.,Temora longicornis and Centropages hamatus, the cladoceran Evadnenordmanni and the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica. The semi-diurnaltidal current was the dominant factor in determining the short-termtemporal changes in the community in terms of density and speciescomposition so that zooplankton patches displayed oscillatingmotion in relation to tidal advection. Although a few species(e.g. Pleurobrachia pileus) exhibited higher densities aroundlow tide, maximum densities were observed for most species (e.g.T.longicornis and E.nordmanni) around high tide, according tosalinity variations. Diurnal changes were only reported forcyclopoid copepods (i.e. Halicyclops sp. and Cyclopina sp.)which wer$$$ mainly endobenthic during the day and moved intothe water column at night. Besides temporal changes in depth-averageddensities, most species exhibited vertical migrations at dieland/or tidal periods. Tidal vertical migrations were reportedonly for a few taxa and could be the result of passive mechanisms(e.g. vertical mixing) rather than of active behaviour. Dielvertical migrations were observed in most of the abundant taxa.While this migration pattern did not appear to be an adaptationto predator avoidance within the Seine ROFI, it could regulatehorizontal transport of organisms and promote their retention.The consequences of the short-term mesozooplankton fluctuationsfor sampling designs are discussed.     

Resource Utilization and Temporal Segregation of Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera,Scarabaeidae) Community in a Caatinga Fragment

We characterized dung beetles food preference and diel activity and examined the way such characteristics may structure a Scarabaeinae community in a dry forest. We sampled a fragment of Arboreal Caatinga in Milagres, Bahia, Brazil, during the dry and wet seasons, using baited pitfall (bovine spleen, human feces, cow dung, and rotten banana). Species were classified by activity (nocturnal and diurnal) and food preference (coprophagous, necrophagous, saprophagous, copro-necrophagous, and generalist). In total, 1,581 individuals belonging to 16 morphospecies were sampled, with six new records for Caatinga. The dung beetles were mainly from generalist and coprophagous species; seven species presented nocturnal activity, and five were diurnal. There was higher species richness during the day and greater abundance during the night. Species composition differences were influenced by functional guilds and beetle size according to temporal segregation. These factors may be related to physiological, morphological, and behavioral differences.     

Distribution of euphausiids in the Kuroshio front and warm water tongue with special reference to the surface aggregation of Euphausia pacifica

The distribution of euphausiids and other macrozooplankton wasinvestigated in and around the Kuroshio front formed in theKa.shima-nada Sea. Japan. during the summer of 1993. Zooplanktonwere dominated by copepods, chaetognaths and euphausiids. andtheir biomass was significantly higher at the frontal stations.Eighteen species belonging to six genera of euphausiids werecollected. The species composition and community structure ofeuphausiids changed drastically with the ‘areas’corresponding to the hydrological conditions. In the area underthe influence of the Kuroshio. most euphausiids were warm-waterspecies. In contrast. euphausiids found in the frontal areawere those usually predominating in subarctic or cold Oyashiowaters. In the area of the warm water tongue. where warm Kuroshiowater lay above cold Oyashio water, the species compositionof euphausiids represented a mixture of both warm- and cold-waterspecies. Surface aggregations of Euphausia pacifica were observedin the frontal area during the night. The biomass and densityof the aggregations ranged between 90 and 136 mg C m^–3and 164 and 238 md. m^–3 respectively. These aggregationswere mostly made up of immature individuals of < 12 mm. Passivetransportation by convergent flow at the front seems to explainthe observed surface aggregations of E.pacifica.     

Marine cladocerans in Toyama Bay, southern Japan Sea: seasonal occurrence and day-night vertical distributions

Marine cladocerans in the zooplankton samples collected vertically(0–500 m) with Norpac nets at 2–4 week intervalsfrom February 1990 through January 1991 at a station in ToyamaBay, southern Japan Sea, were examined. From mid-March throughearly December, cladoceran populations exhibited five distinctpeaks. in which seven species occurred and showed a species-specific pattern of seasonal distribution. In mid-July. Peniliaavirostris exhibited a prominent peak in population density.Three species of Evadne, E.nordmanni, E.spinifera and E.tergestina,showed a clear ecological separation in time. The first twospecies had a peak density in April and July. respectively,but the last species demonstrated three distinct peaks betweenJune and September. Two congeneric species of the genus Podon,P.leuckarti and P.schmackeri, also did not co-exist in time.Simultaneous horizontal hauls with MTD nets made in June andSeptember 1986 revealed a strikingly marked surface distributionof all species. Evadne nordmanni occurred in June and demonstrateda clear ‘reverse’ did vertical migration, residingin the 30 m depth during the night time and ascending up tothe uppermost water column of 0–10 m during the daytime.Among the four species which occurred in September, E.spinifera,E.tergestina and P.schmackeri also showed a reverse migrationbetween the 30 m depth during the night and the very surfaceduring the day. A different pattern was observed in P.avirostrzs,which was distributed at a depth of 30 m during both the dayand the night with no sign of diel vertical migration. Amongthe more prevalent parthenogenetic individuals, some gamogeneticforms were found to exist in most species occurring in ToyamaBay.     

Photosynthetic Changes in the Inducible CAM Plant Sedum telephium L. Following the Imposition of Water Stress. 1. General Characteristics

The effects of water stress (drought) on the pattern of photosynthesisin Sedum telephium have been determined. Well-watered plantsexhibit a weak-CAM pattern, with substantial CO₂ fixation inthe day, a low level of CO₂ fixation at night, high daytimestomatal conductance with a lower conductance at night, andno diurnal fluctuation in acid content. Imposition of water-stress causes a switch from weak-CAM toa full-CAM mode of photosynthesis, as indicated by cessationof daytime CO₂ fixation, a marked increase in night-time CO₂fixation, very low daytime stomatal conductance, increased night-timeconductance and significant diurnal fluctuations in acid content. Sedum telephium, CAM, CO₂ fixation, drought, malate, photosynthesis, water stress     

The family Xystonellidae (Ciliophora, Tintinnina) in the Adriatic Sea

This paper reports quantitative, horizontal and vertical distributiondata of the 11 species of the family Xystonellidae found inthe Adriatic Sea and in the Strait of Otranto. The samples werecollected in coastal and open waters, with a plankton net equippedwith a closing system, in the period from 1973 to 1986. At thedeeper stations of the South Adriatic Pit, hauls were takenin eight vertical layers, while at other stations sampling dependedon the respective depth of each station. Xystonellidae are oceanictintinnines, mainly present in the South Adriatic and the Straitof Otranto throughout the year. They are characteristic of SouthAdriatic and Eastern Mediterranean water masses. Horizontaldistribution of lower mesopelagic species is limited by the200 m isobath. Only sparse individuals of the upper mesopelagicand epipelagic species were found in the Jabuka Pit, probablydue to the late autumn and winter current. These species werenot registered to the north of this region. They were registeredbelow the 200 m depth as dominant tintinnines, while in summerthey represented an average of 81% of the total tintinnine population.     

Small-scale distribution of macroplankton and micronekton in the Ligurian Sea (Mediterranean Sea) as observed from the manned submersible Cyana

A series of eight submersible dives (the MIGRAGEL I cruise)was made during late April 1986 using the French submersibleCyana to investigate macrozooptankton in the upper 400–700m of the water column. Paired day and night dives were madeat stations 3, 6, 13 and 23 nautical miles off Cape Ferrat,near Villefranche-sur-Mer, France; the distances represent differentareas in the frontal system of the Ligurian Sea. Detailed day/nightvertical distribution data are shown for the most abundant species;these include the narcomedusa Solmissus albescens, teleost fishCyclothone spp., small appendiculanans (primarily Oikopleuraalbicans), large appendicularians (an undescribed oikopleurid),diphyid siphonophores (mostly Chelophyes appendiculata) andan abundant lobate ctenophore. Salps, pyrosomes, amphipods (Phroniumasedentaria), pteropods (Cavolinia inflexa), macroscopic ‘star-like’protozoa and marine snow are also briefly discussed. The coastalzone was dominated by small appendicularians in the upper layers,with other filter feeders including large appendicularians indeeper water—these just above a non-migratory populationof carnivorous Cyclothone. The carnivorous medusa Solmissusalbescens moved throughout the upper 600 m in the course ofits diel vertical migration. Offshore, carnivores were dominantthroughout the water column, with numerous diphyid siphonophoresin the upper layers, and Cyclothone, lobate ctenophores andmacroprotozoa abundant in deeper water. Solmissus was also present,and was more numerous offshore than in the coastal zone.     

Bathymetric distribution of medusae in the open waters of the middle and south Adriatic Sea during spring 2002

Twenty-eight species of hydromedusae and one scyphomedusa werecollected from the middle and south Adriatic in Spring 2002.Haliscera bigelowi was recorded for the first time in the AdriaticSea and Dicodonium adriaticum for the southern Adriatic. Thecosmopolitan species Rhopalonema velatum, Aglaura hemistomaand Persa incolorata averaged 88% of total medusan abundance.The Mediterranean species Rhabdoon singulare and Solmissus albescenswere numerous at the deeper stations. These species were foundeither in the southern or in middle Adriatic, and their abundanceis greater than in other regions of the Mediterranean Sea. Speciesdiversity and abundance generally were highest in the upper200 m and decreased with depth. Diel vertical migration patternsincluded some species that nocturnally sought shallower or deeperlayers, and some species migrated in both directions. A fewspecies did not show any vertical migration. Although lightlikely triggers vertical movements, data suggest that foragingstrategies also influence the vertical migration of medusae.     

Nocturnal Accumulation of Acid in Leaves of Wall Pennywort (Umbilicus rupestris) Following Exposure to Water Stress

Physiological responses to water stress (drought) have beeninvestigated in Umbilicus rupestris (wall pennywort) by comparingcontrol (well-watered) and draughted plants with respect to(i) diurnal fluctuations in the acid content of the leaves,(ii) CO₂ exchange patterns and (iii) stomatal conductance. Controlplants show no diurnal fluctuations in acid content, whereasafter 6 d of drought a clear CAM-type pattern (nocturnal acidificationfollowed by deacidification in the light) is observed. In controlplants, the CO₂ exchange pattern over a 24 h period is of atypical C-3 ‘square-wave’ type, with extensive CO₂uptake in the light and CO₂ output in the dark. In droughtedplants the day-time CO₂ uptake is confined to a morning ‘burst’,whilst night-time CO₂ output is markedly reduced. There is howeverno net noctural uptake of CO₂. In control plants, stomatal conductanceis high during the day (especially in the first half of theday) falling to a low level at the onset of darkness, and thenrising slowly through the remainder of the night. In droughtedplants, stomatal conductance is very low, except that thereis morning ‘burst’ of high conductance and a periodduring the night when conductance is higher than in controlplants. These results are discussed in relation to the response of U.rupestris to drought both in laboratory and in field conditions. Umbilicus rupestris, wall pennywort, CO₂ exchange, Crassulacean acid metabolism, drought, stomatal conductance, water stress     

Taxonomic composition and distribution of Euphausiacea and Decapoda (Crustacea) in the neuston of the Bay of Fundy, Canada

The taxonomic composition and geographic distribution of Euphausiaceaand Decapoda occurring in the neu.ston were examined in spring,summer and autumn surveys of a 2.4x10⁴ km² area of the Bay ofFundy. Adult Meganyctiphanes norvegica and Thysanoessa inermis(Euphausiacea) were present in every survey and were most abundantin autumn. Larval euphausiids were most abundant in summer butwere also present in spring and autumn. Adults of three natantiandecapod species were rarely collected; however, larval Natantiawere common in summer and autumn. Larvae representing sevengenera of reptantian decapods were collected in summer and autumn;the most abundant was Cancer sp., which was numerically dominantin summer samples. Distributional patterns divide the taxa intoinner and outer bay components at a line drawn between Digby,Nova Scotia and St John, New Brunswick, corresponding to theboundary of the major counterclockwise gyre in the Bay of Fundy.