Microdistribution within a population ofAcrocnida brachiata (Montagu), (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) in Little Killary, west coast of Ireland |
| |
Authors: | A Makra B F Keegan |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Zoology, The Martin Ryan Marine Science Institute, The National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland |
| |
Abstract: | Acrocnida brachiata (Montagu), like many other infaunal ophiuroids, has a penchant for gregariousness. In Little Killary, a small embayment on
the west coast of Ireland, it colonises an extensive tract of sandy inshore ground (ca 7 m depth), at densities of 150–200
individuals/m2. In the course of a two-year study, variation in regular suction-sampling returns prompted a detailed study of the species
distribution pattern. Towards this end, 256 contiguous and stratified core samples were taken along a line of transect, in
May 1995. These showed randomness with respect to the population at large, but exposed an aggregated distribution for juveniles
and adults separately, at different levels within the sediment. Juveniles formed wide, ‘loose’ patches in the surficial deposit,
while adults formed smaller, denseer patches deeper within the sediment. It remains to be seen what this approach may expose,
when applied in different seasons, or during different phases of the species life cycle. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|