Comparisons of morphology and neritic distributions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euphausia crystallorophias</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euphausia superba</Emphasis> furcilia during autumn and winter west of the Antarctic Peninsula

Euphausia crystallorophias and E. superba larvae often overlap in distribution in Antarctic coastal regions. Here, we describe the morphology and ecology of E. crystallorophias furcilia stages F3–F6, with emphasis on characteristics that distinguish them from E. superba, based on samples collected west of the Antarctic Peninsula during autumn and winter 2001 and 2002. During autumn most E. crystallorophias occurred as F4s (53%) and F5s (35%), while E. superba occurred in all furcilia stages (F1–F6). During winter, F6 was the dominant stage (>67%) for both species. On average, body lengths of E. crystallorophias larval stages were significantly greater than those of E. superba. During autumn, densities of the two species were similar (range: 0.003–11.8 m^–3) at many on-shelf stations, with lower densities during winter. Where both species occurred, >58% of E. crystallorophias furcilia were collected between 50 and 100 m depth, while 82% of E. superba were shallower (25–50 m). Younger stages of E. crystallorophias occurred more frequently (54% of F3s) in water >100 m than older stages (11% of F6s). Thus, many larval E. crystallorophias were vertically segregated from E. superba, thereby reducing grazing competition between the young of these morphologically similar species.     

A comparison of Antarctic euphausiids sampled by net and from geothermally heated waters: insights into sampling bias

The Antarctic euphausiids Euphausia superba and E. crystallorophias were sampled using an 8 m² rectangular midwater trawl inside the caldera of Deception Island. Specimens of the same species were collected on the same day from the strandline and sublittoral fringe within the caldera at a bay where these euphausiids had been incapacitated by high temperature geothermally heated waters. Differences between length frequency distributions of samples obtained by both methods were investigated once net-caught specimens had been subject to the simulated effects of geothermally heated waters. Differences between maturity stage/sex ratios for E. superba samples were also assessed. No significant differences between sizes of net-caught or beach-sampled E. crystallorophias were detected, but significant differences were found between both the sizes and sex/maturity stages for E. superba samples. Possible explanations for these differences are discussed. Accepted: 15 March 1999     

Distribution of Euphausia crystallorophias within Prydz Bay and its importance to the inshore marine ecosystem

Summary Within Prydz Bay (Antarctica) Euphausia crystallorophias was found to be restricted to the continental shelf (<1000 m). Densities greater than 1000 indiv. 1000 m^-3 were observed nearer the coast, while lower densities were seen further offshore. E. crystallorophias was the dominant euphausiid in the shelf region with the occurrence of Euphausia superba increasing close to the continental shelf break and further off the shelf. E. crystallorophias was found to be an important component of the diet of Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeding on Magnetic Island in Prydz Bay. The importance of E. crystallorophias as a dietary item for other predators in the region is discussed.     

Electrophoretic investigation of genetic variation in two krill species Euphausia superba and E. crystallorophias (Euphausiidae)

Summary Specimens of Euphausia superba and of E. crystallorophias from different locations were analyzed electrophoretically for protein variation. The present study extends previous genetic studies on E. superba by analyzing samples from the East Wind Drift and repeat samples from the Bransfield Strait, Elephant Island and the Weddell Sea. E. crystallorophias was collected in the Weddell Sea and around the Antarctic Peninsula in order to provide information on the breeding structure of the species in this region. For all loki taking all sampling sites together for both species except GPI in E. crystallorophias no significant deviation of phenotype distributions from random mating expectations was observed. Furthermore, the allele distributions in all polymorphic loci for both species were found to be homogeneous. Estimates of genetic distance between samples within each species are low (0.0001 to 0.0003 in E. superba and 0.0001 to 0.0002 in E. crystallorophias), and are consistent with results expected for samples from a single interbreeding population. Estimate of genetic distance between these two species was 0.9729. These results suggest that for each species specimens from all locations investigated in the Bransfield Strait and Weddell Sea belong to a single genetically homogeneous population. A possible mechanism for maintaining such homogeneity and the implications for fishery management are discussed.     

Notes of food selection in the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba

Analysis of the gut contents of Euphausia superba and of the phytoplankton composition in the area of the animals catchment served as a basis for answering the question whether or not E. superba is capable of food selection. It was found that the diatom Thalassiosira is preferred by E. superba as a food item and small pennate diatoms, Nitzschia, and Navicula are only tolerated as food. Other algae taxa, such as Tropidoneis, Dactyliosolen, Chaetoceros, and Gyrodinium, are clearly avoided. With respect to phytoplankton cell size, E. superba prefers cells with a length of 20–40 μm and cells larger than 70 μm are rejected. Trophic conditions only slightly affect the food selection of E. superba. Received: 4 September 1995/Accepted: 30 June 1996     

Horizontal and vertical distribution and demography of euphausiids in the Ross Sea and its adjacent waters in 2004/2005

The horizontal and vertical distribution and population structure of euphausiids in the Ross Sea and its adjacent waters were investigated during the summers of 2004/2005 using stratified towed samples. Nine species of euphausiids occurred in the survey area. Among them, Euphausia triacantha was dominant in biomass north of the southern boundary of the Antarctic circumpolar current (SB). Thysanoessa spp. was widely distributed north of the continental slope, while E. superba was distributed from the SB to the slope, where it showed the highest biomass. Juvenile E. superba was distributed offshore near the SB and remained at the surface, but gravid females were dominant in the slope and mainly occurred in the middle layers (400–600 m). Adult and juvenile E. crystallorophias were found at 200–300 m in the colder water of the continental shelf. In general, the peak biomass of euphausiids was found in the mid layers of the Ross Sea area. The life span and the number of spawns for major species are also discussed.     

Larvae of euphausiids off Queen Maud Land

Summary In a March 1981 study of the Lazare Sea, a sector of the Southern Ocean along Queen Maud Land, Euphausia superba and Thysanoessa macrura larvae were abundant in the north and northwest part of the region near the frontal zone between the Weddell Warm Countercurrent (WWC) and Weddell Gyre, 5°W–15°E. Toward the south, E. superba and E. crystallorophias larvae were numerous in the frontal zone between the WWC and the Antarctic Coastal Current. Only T. macrura larvae occurred in the central part of the sea. The age composition of larvae was most advanced in T. macrura, probably due to the drift of larvae from the northwest. Because the ice cover diminishes later in the flow from the Weddell Gyre (northernmost area of the region) than in the south, E. superba larvae were younger in that oceanic subregion than near the shore. T. macrura larvae were sparse near the coast and an onshore-offshore age difference was not pronounced. Both frontal zones correspond to reproductive areas of E. superba and T. macrura. E. crystallorophias spawns only in the southern area.     

Euphausia superba dominates in the diet of Adélie penguins feeding under fast sea-ice in the shelf areas of Enderby Land in summer

Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae in Enderby Land, Antarctica feed mainly on Euphausia superba during the chick rearing season in shelf areas where fast sea-ice remains: indicating that E. superba is abundant under the fast sea-ice in these areas. The shelf areas in Enderby Land, therefore, are unique since the previous studies of Adélie penguin diet in Ross Sea, Adélie Land and Prydz Bay show that E. crystallorophias is the most abundant krill species in shelf areas in general.     

Zooplankton communities in the Southern Weddell Sea (Antartica)

Summary Standardized abundances of 40 frequently occurring macrozooplankton taxa collected by double-oblique bongo net hauls between the surface and 200 m depth were submitted to an agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis, to characterize surface zooplankton communities in the southern and eastern Weddell Sea. The sensitivity of the analysis concerning reduction of the number of considered taxa (especially stages of species) was tested. Dominant taxa in the entire area over the whole period were copepods Metridia gerlachei and Calanoides acutus. Calanus propinquus, Appendicularia spp. and calyptopis-1 larvae of krill, Euphausia superba were abundant at 73°S/19°W. Euphausia crystallorophias and larval fish Pleuragramma antarcticum dominated at 77°S/40°W on the southern shelf. The cluster analysis revealed marked similarities between the southern shelf community and the January community further to the northeast. E. crystallorophias, and larval Pleuragramma antarcticum are thought to be transported in surface layers of the coastal current to the southwest. Oceanic species such as Thysanoessa sp. and E. superba are probably not transported in the same way. Possible mechanisms for the maintenance of the community structures are discussed. A simplified method of characterizing communities, based on analysis of euphausiids, is presented.     

Spatio-temporal distribution and abundance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euphausia crystallorophias</Emphasis> in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea,Antarctica) during austral summer

Average abundance values for Euphausia crystallorophias in the shelf region of Terra Nova Bay were generally high. Mean number of adults and juveniles were 20 and 87 ind/m², respectively, while larval concentrations were much higher, reaching a mean of 14,764 ind/m². Euphausia crystallorophias were very patchy in their distribution during all stages of their life cycle. The distribution patterns of E. crystallorophias in TNB seem to be strictly correlated both to hydrological features such as the presence of polynyas, pack-ice zone and certain temperatures values. According to our data, E. crystallorophias spawned from early October to early January. For the two age groups (0+ and 1+) an average growth rate of 0.074 and 0.076 mm/day was found, respectively. The mean biomass of larval E. crystallorophias (from Metanauplius to Furcilia I) in January was estimated as 84 mg WW/m². This article belongs to a special topic: Five articles on Sea-ice communities in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea), coordinated by L. Guglielmo and V. Saggiomo, appear in this issue of Polar Biology. The studies were conducted in the frame of the National Program of Research in Antarctica (PNRA) of Italy.     

Distribution of salps near the South Shetland Islands during austral summer, 1990–1991 with special reference to krill distribution

Distribution and biomass of salps and Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) were investigated near the South Shetland Islands during austral summer 1990–1991. Salp biomass ranged between 0 and 556 mgC·m^–3 and was greatest at a station in the Bransfield Strait in late December 1990. Salp biomass was lower than that of E. superba. Two species of salps; Salpa thompsoni and Ihlea racovitzai were found, and the former was dominant numerically. Spatial distribution and generation composition of these two species was different. Spatial distributions of salps and E. superba did not overlap particularly so the January–February period. While E. superba was found mainly in the coastal area which showed high-chlorophyll a values, salps exhibited high biomass in the oceanic area with low chlorophyll a concentrations. Predation by salps on small krill and the competitive removal of food by them, are discussed as potential reasons for the relatively low abundance of E. superba at the stations where salps were present in great numbers.     

Ecophysiological studies on citrate-synthase: (I) enzyme regulation of selected crustaceans with regard to temperature adaptation

The characteristics and properties chromatographically purified citrate synthase from the euphausiids Euphausia superba (Antarctica) and Meganyctiphanes norvegica (Scandinavian Kattegat and Mediterranean Sea) and from the isopods Serolis polita (Antarctica) and Idotea baltica (Baltic Sea) were used to elucidate biochemical mechanisms of temperature adaptation. Additionally, maintenance experiments were carried out on the euphausiids to determine mechanisms of short term acclimation. Temperature optima (between 37 and 45°C) were unrelated to genotypic cold adaptation, but the activation energy of the Antarctic krill E. superba (10.9 kJ · mol^-1) was only a quarter of that in other species (41.8–45.1 kJ · mol^-1). The minima of apparent Michaelis constants (total range: 4–20 μmol · 1^-1 oxaloacetate; 7–45 μmol · 1^-1 acetyl-coenzyme A) showed no relation to natural conditions, and no distinct pH optimum occurred at ambient temperatures. In contrast, apparent Michaelis constants and specific enzyme activities were related to maintenance temperatures in M. norvegica, but not in E. superba. The differences between M. norvegica and E. superba can be interpreted as adaptations to the changes in ambient temperature with regard to the respective steno- and eurythermic tolerances of these crustaceans.     

The biology of the spiny icefish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chaenodraco wilsoni</Emphasis> Regan, 1914

The most abundant ice fish species observed in catches off the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the last 25–30 years has been the spiny ice fish Chaenodraco wilsoni Regan 1914. C. wilsoni has been exploited on a commercial scale from the late 1970s to the end of the 1980s off Joinville–D’Urville Islands (CCAMLR Statistical Subarea 48.1) and in the Cosmonauts and Cooperation Seas and Prydz Bay in the Indian Ocean sector (CCAMLR Statistical Division 58.4.2). This paper presents new information on biological features and life history characteristics of C. wilsoni, based on research survey collections along the northern Antarctic Peninsula in 2006 and 2007 and samples taken in the commercial fishery in 1987. Length frequency compositions from the research surveys demonstrated that fish 21–34 cm long predominated in the catches. Sexual maturity is attained at 24–25 cm. Absolute fecundity and relative fecundity is low (1,000–2,500 eggs; 6–12 eggs). Oocyte diameter varied from 4.0 to 4.9 mm very close to spawning. Spawning at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula is likely to occur in October–November. Remotely operated vehicle deployments in the northern Weddell Sea demonstrated that C. wilsoni exhibit parental nest guarding where males protect the eggs. The incubation period is likely to be 8 months long. Fish feed primarily on Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in the Antarctic Peninsula region and in the Cosmonauts and Cooperation Seas while fish take ice krill (Euphausia crystallorophias), Pleuragramma antarcticum and myctophids to some extent in other areas. Age determination still awaits validation. Preliminary ageing attempts suggested a maximum age of about 8–10 years.     

The food of some Aantarctic fish in the western Ross Sea in summer 1979

Summary The food of fish in the western area of the Ross Sea was studied. Four locations were sampled using a bottom trawl. Twenty-four species of fish belonging to six families were caught. Pleuragramma antarcticum was the most important species among them and Chionodraco myersi was also abundant. The food chain, starting from small crustaceans such as Parathemisto gaudichaudii, copepods and Euphausia crystallorophias and extending through P. antarcticum to channichthyids is considered the most important chain in the food web of the fish community of the western Ross Sea in summer. The significance of the ecological role of P. antarcticum in the food web of the fish community of this area where the krill, Euphausia superba, is scarce is discussed.     

Vertical distributions and relations of euphausiid populations off Elephant Island,March 1984

Summary Distributional relationships are described for post-larval and larval Euphausia superba and Thysanoessa sp. (probably macrura) and post-larval Euphausia frigida collected in 0–70/80 m and 0–175/200 m depth ranges with a MOCNESS sampler north of Elephant Island (61°S, 55°W) during 17–23 March 1984. Larval E. superba (predominantly calyptopes stage 2 and 3) were rare shallower than 80 m at night. Day catches of post-larval E. suberba were small and night catches were primarily near the top of the thermocline above 50 m depth. Thysanoessa sp. occurred throughout the 0–200 m depth range and was abundant in the upper 80 m both night and day. E. frigida migrated to the upper 80 m at night from deeper day depths. Larval stages of E. superba and bost-larval stages of all three species demonstrated independent and variable vertical distribution patterns both night and day. Changes in E. superba abundance and distributional patterns could to a certain extent be associated with observed environmental changes. An increase in larval and decrease in post-larval E. superba abundances between 0–80 m was associated with an intrusion of cold water at depth. At night, vertically restricted concentrations of post-larval E. superba were associated with shallow mixed layer depths, and a significant vertical separation of developmental stages and size categories was observed only during periods of stratification in the upper 80 m. Fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of Thysanoessa sp. and distribution of E. frigida did not appear to be influenced by physical parameters within the upper 80 m. Within the 0–80 m depth range, the distributions of these two species differed from each other and from E. superba and showed large tow to tow variability that could not be related to physical parameters in the upper water column.     

Diving behaviour of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) at Dumont D'Urville, Antarctica: nocturnal patterns of diving and rapid adaptations to changes in sea-ice condition

The diving behaviour of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) was studied with time-depth recorders at Dumont D'Urville, Antarctica, during the breeding seasons in 1995/1996 and 1996/1997. We studied penguins foraging at all breeding stages, in various sea-ice conditions. For the first time in this species we observed nocturnal patterns of diving as the penguins dived more frequently and spent more time underwater around midnight than around noon. This behaviour may be related to the abundance of neritic krill, Euphausia crystallorophias, in the diet. Dive depth and duration varied extensively over the cycle, and appeared related to sea ice conditions rather than representative of the locality (22 m/78 s and 40 m/102 s with and without sea-ice, respectively). Comparisons with other studies showed that different diving behaviour previously observed in different localities can also occur at the same locality, and in some cases over a single foraging trip of a single penguin when short-term variation of external conditions occurred. Accepted: 27 September 1999     

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba Dana) eat salps

 Feeding behaviour of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) on salps was observed in shipboard experiments during the 1994/1995 Kaiyo Maru Antarctic Ocean research cruise. The feeding rate was more than 0.5 salp/krill per day. When offered ethanol extracts of four prey types, salps, phytoplankton, krill and polychaetes, krill preferred the salp extracts. This evidence implies that the substances extracted from salps were most attractive to krill. These results might indicate a tight ecological relationship between krill and salps. Received: 24 May 1995/Accepted: 8 October 1995     

The breeding season diet of Adélie penguins at the Vestfold Hills,East Antarctica

The stomach contents of adult Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adéliae) were sampled at Magnetic Island, 4.5 km offshore from Davis Station, Antarctica. An intensive sampling program was conducted during the posthatching (mid-December to late February) part of the 1982–1983 breeding season, and during the prehatching (midOctober to mid-December) part of the 1983–1984 breeding season. Combining the samples from both seasons, weekly sampling covered almost the entire 4.5 months the penguins spent ashore at the breeding colonies and resulted in a total of 574 samples.Samples obtained prior to hatching were very small and consisted mostly of amphipods (14 species represented). During the chick rearing period, the weight of samples increased steadily. Euphausia crystallorophias was an important food item throughout the sampling period, particularly from hatching onwards. Euphasia superba also, occurred regularly. After a brief peak in late December, it was usually present but it was seldom the major component. Fish of ten species, predominantly Pleuragramma antarcticum, (up to 195 mm in length), became a significant component when the chicks formed crêches in early January. They became the principal dietary component at fledging in February.     

The role of notothenioid fish in the food web of the Ross Sea shelf waters: a review

The Ross Sea, a large, high-latitude (72–78°S) embayment of the Antarctic continental shelf, averages 500 m deep, with troughs to 1,200 m and the shelf break at 700 m. It is covered by pack ice for 9 months of the year. The fish fauna of about 80 species includes primarily 4 families and 53 species of the endemic perciform suborder Notothenioidei. This review focuses on the diet and role in the food web of notothenioids and top-level bird and mammal predators, and also includes new information on the diets of artedidraconids and bathydraconids. Although principally a benthic group, notothenioids have diversified to form an adaptive radiation that includes pelagic and semipelagic species. In the southern Ross Sea, notothenioids dominate the fish fauna at levels of abundance and biomass >90% and are, therefore, inordinately important in the food web. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and mesopelagic fishes are virtually absent from the shelf waters of the Ross Sea. Of the four notothenioid families, nototheniids show the most ecological and dietary diversification, with pelagic, cryopelagic, epibenthic and benthic species. Neutrally buoyant Pleuragramma antarcticum constitutes >90% of both the abundance and biomass of the midwater fish fauna. Most benthic nototheniids are opportunistic and feed on seasonally or locally abundant zooplanktonic prey. Artedidraconids are benthic sit-and-wait predators. Larger bathydraconids are benthic predators on fish while smaller species feed mainly on benthic crustaceans. Channichthyids are less dependent on the bottom for food than other notothenioids. Some species combine benthic and pelagic life styles; others are predominantly pelagic and all consume euphausiids and/or fish. South polar skuas, Antarctic petrels, Adélie and emperor penguins, Weddell seals and minke and killer whales are the higher vertebrate components of the food web, and all prey on notothenioids to some extent. Based on the frequency of occurrence of prey items in the stomachs of fish, bird and mammal predators, P. antarcticum and ice krill E. crystallorophias are the key species in the food web of the Ross Sea. P. antarcticum is a component of the diet of at least 11 species of nototheniid, bathydraconid and channichthyid fish and, at frequencies of occurrence from 71 to 100%, is especially important for Dissostichus mawsoni, Gvozdarus svetovidovi and some channichthyids. At least 16 species of notothenioids serve as prey for bird and mammal predators, but P. antarcticum is the most important and is a major component of the diet of south polar skua, Adélie and emperor penguins and Weddell seals, at frequencies of occurrence from 26 to 100%. E. crystallorophias is consumed by some nototheniid and channichthyid fish and can be of importance in the diet of emperor and Adélie penguins, although in the latter case, this is dependent on location and time of year.Unlike the linear phytoplanktonE. superbaconsumers of the E. superba food chain hypothesized for much of the Southern Ocean, the food web of the Ross Sea shelf is non-linear, with complex prey-predator interactions. Notothenioid fish play a key role: as predators, they occupy most of the trophic niches available in the ecosystem, relying on benthic, zooplanktonic and nektonic organisms; as prey, they are important food resources for each other and for most top predators living and foraging on the shelf. They also constitute the major link between lower (invertebrates) and higher (birds and mammals) levels of the food web. This is especially true for P. antarcticum. Along with E. crystallorophias, its ecological role in the Ross Sea is equivalent to that of myctophids and E. superba elsewhere in the Southern Ocean.     

Diet of Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae during the post-hatching period at Esperanza Bay,Antarctica, 1987/88

The diet of the Adélie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae was studied at Esperanza Bay, Antarctic Peninsula, during the post-hatching period by quantitative analysis of adult stomach contents. Euphausiids constituted on average 96% by mass, while fish contributed 4% by mass. Amphipods were present in small amounts. Antarctic krill Euphausia superba was the predominant component throughout the sampling period. In contrast, Euphausia crystallorophias occurred rarely. Differences in the size of krill taken by Adélie penguins appear to reflect either local changes in the availability of certain age classes at various times in the breed ing season, or differences in foraging areas, or are due to year-to-year differences in prey availability and abundance, possibly caused by variations in seasonal ice cover. Pleuragramma antarcticum constituted the bulk of the fish portion, particularly during the guard period.