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1.
The reproductive biology of a shelf morid, red cod (Salilota australis) was investigated in the Falkland Islands, in order to expand our knowledge of the reproductive strategy of this relatively unstudied family of fishes. Red cod spawn to the south and south-west of West Falkland between August and October. Length frequency and sex ratio data suggest that females arrive at the spawning grounds first. The greatest spawning activity occurred in early evening and this timing may be an adaptation to reduce predation on eggs. Ripe egg size varied from 0.95 to 1.26 mm and was not dependant on female size. There was no regulative atresia during maturation and the formation of fecundity and fecundity increased with increasing fish total length (LT) from 300,000 (42-45 cm LT) to 4.5-9.0 million eggs (75-83 cm LT). The fecundity of most of the population was between 2 and 5 million eggs. Red cod releases small batches of eggs over the spawning period. Batch size ranged from 30,000-90,000 (39-42 cm LT) in smaller animals to 400,000-800,000 (>75 cm LT) in larger animals and the batch size of first spawners was significantly higher than for advanced spawners. The study allows us to discuss the evolutionary relationships between the Gadiformes.  相似文献   

2.
The sea pen Funiculina quadrangularis (Pallas, 1766) is a species of conservation concern in Scottish coastal waters, due to its restricted geographical distribution and high sensitivity to demersal fishing activities. Reproduction in F. quadrangularis was investigated in a population located in southern Loch Linnhe, west Scotland. This was accomplished through the analysis of trends in oocyte size-frequency distribution and relative fecundity over a 12-month period. Funiculina quadrangularis is dioecious and the study population exhibited a sex ratio of 1:1. Oogenesis in female F. quadrangularis is characterised by the maintenance of a large pool of asynchronously developing oocytes throughout the year, of which a small proportion (<10%) mature with increasing sychronicity and are spawned in midwinter. The reasons for this distinct pattern of oogenesis and winter spawning remain unclear, although the potential influence of environmental cues and the role of endogenous factors in relation to this sea pen's deep-sea habit are discussed. Whilst the duration of oogenesis is prolonged (>12 months), it is proposed that spawning is a brief and synchronous annual event. Relative fecundity is high and is independent of colony size, varying between approximately 500–2000 oocytes per 1 cm rachial midsection. This measure of fecundity exhibited pronounced seasonality and was significantly lower during the post-spawning winter months. Total fecundity in F. quadrangularis is considered to be high; although a small proportion of the total number of oocytes is spawned annually, this is compensated for by large colony size. Funiculina quadrangularis produces large oocytes (>800 μm), indicative of the production of lecithotrophic larvae.  相似文献   

3.
Ovaries of Baltic sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus S.) were analysed histologically to identify stages of postovulatory follicles (POF) and to assess the oocyte development pattern. Samples were taken every 3 h during a 24 h trawl survey conducted in the Bornholm Basin in April 2007. Gonad histology revealed spawning of sprat throughout the day which hampered the exact ageing of POFs by the postovulatory follicle method and therefore did not allow direct estimation of spawning frequency. However, it was possible to define four stages of POFs, according to their histological features. The occurrence of these POF stages (I to IV) corresponded clearly to the development of the leading oocyte cohort. Further, the oocyte recruitment pattern revealed that the spawning batch can be identified prior to hydration. The POF stages I and II were present almost exclusively in vitellogenic ovaries, POF III were found in ovaries in the germinal vesicle stage, and the most deteriorated POF stage IV was found in actively spawning fish with hydrated oocytes. Since POF were absent only in very few ovaries (5%), and in each ovary in general only one POF stage was present, the duration of POF degeneration approximately equals the average batch interval, i.e. the time lag between subsequent spawning events. The results of the present study will serve as basis for future studies on Baltic sprat oocyte recruitment and daily spawning fraction.  相似文献   

4.
Reproductive aspects of the golden ling, Genypterus blacodes, from the southern Chilean fishery are presented. Gonad samples were obtained from commercially caught fish between September 1999 and October 2000. Stage of sexual maturity, gonadosomatic index (GSI), and size of females at 50% maturation determined by logistic methods and by plotting the mean GSI by total length, are presented for both years. Batch fecundity was calculated from subsampling mature ovaries containing oocytes in advanced stages of maturity. Changes in GSI and monthly diameters of oocytes showed that ling had a spawning season which extended between August and November. The sizes at first maturity in 1999 and 2000 were 86.6 and 84.8 cm total length (TL), respectively, using the logistic model, and 84 cm for both years using the mean GSI‐size plotting method. The mean batch fecundity was 333 330 oocytes per individual for fish sized 85–120 cm TL. Fecundity increased with increasing weight and total length.  相似文献   

5.
To assess the potential of stable isotope ratios as an indicator of fish migration within estuaries, stable isotope ratios in important zooplankton species were analyzed in relation to estuarine salinity gradients. Gut contents from migratory juveniles of the euryhaline marine fish Lateolabrax japonicus were examined along the Chikugo River estuary of the Ariake Sea, which has the most developed estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) in Japan. Early juveniles in March and April preyed primarily on two copepod species; Sinocalanus sinensis at lower salinities and Acartia omorii at higher salinities. Late juveniles (standard length > 40 mm) at lower salinities preyed exclusively on the mysid Acanthomysis longirostris until July and complementarily on the decapod Acetes japonicus in August. These prey species were collected along the estuary during the spring–summer seasons of 2003 and 2004, and their carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) were evaluated. The δ13C values of prey species were distinct from each other and were primarily depleted within and in close proximity to the ETM (salinity < 10); S. sinensis (−26.6‰) < Acanthomysis longirostris (−23.3‰) < Acartia omorii (−21.1‰) < Acetes japonicus (−18.5‰). The overall gradient of δ13C with salinity occurred for all prey species and showed minor temporal fluctuations, while it was not directly influenced by the δ13C values in particulate organic matter along the estuary. In contrast to δ13C, the δ15N values of prey species did not exhibit any clear relationship with salinity. The present study demonstrated that δ13C has the potential for application as a tracer of fish migration into lower salinity areas including the ETM.  相似文献   

6.
0-Group sole, Solea solea (Linnaeus, 1758) were sampled in four nursery grounds: two on the Northern French coast and two on the Portuguese coast. Juvenile sole were collected at the Vilaine estuary (Northern Bay of Biscay) in 1992, in the Authie estuary (Eastern English Channel) in 1997, and in the Douro and Tagus estuary (Northern and central Portugal, respectively) in 2005. Left lapilli otoliths were used to estimate age and investigate variability in growth rates and hatch dates. In the French study areas nursery colonisation ended in early June in the Vilaine estuary and in late June in the Authie estuary. In the Portuguese estuaries nursery colonisation ended in May in the Douro estuary and in late June in the Tagus estuary. Growth rates were higher in the Portuguese estuaries, 0.767 mm d−1 in the Tagus estuary and 0.903 mm d−1 in the Douro estuary. In the French nurseries, growth rates were estimated to be 0.473 mm d−1 in the Villaine estuary and 0.460 mm d−1 in the Authie estuary. Data on growth rates from other studies shows that growth rates are higher at lower latitudes, probably due to higher water temperature. Spawning took place between early January and early April in the Villaine estuary's coastal area in 1992. In 1997, in the Authie estuary spawning started in late January and ended in early April. On the Douro estuary's adjacent coast spawning started in mid-January and ended in late March, in 2005, while on the Tagus estuary's adjacent coast spawning started in mid-February and ended in mid-April, in the same year. Literature analysis of the spawning period of sole along a latitudinal gradient ranging from 38°N to 55°N in the Northeast Atlantic indicated that there is a latitudinal trend, in that spawning starts sooner at lower latitudes. Results support that local conditions, particularly hydrodynamics, may overrule general latitudinal trends.  相似文献   

7.
Eurytemora americana has been only reported as invader in Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina within the South Hemisphere. There are a few experimental researches under laboratory conditions done with this species and its reproductive behaviour around the world is very scarce. Consequently, it is still not possible to completely understand its population dynamics. In the present study, E. americana reproductive temporal behaviour and relationships among abundance, female size, egg production and hatching success were examined in the Bahía Blanca Estuary, during 2007 pulse. In order to determine the potential relationships between these variables and the environmental variables, experimental incubations were conducted in the laboratory simulating natural conditions. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to analyze the relationships among all variables. Temporal change of biotic and environmental variables was corroborated by a Mann–Whitney/Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric tests, with significant differences (p ? 0.01) in all variables throughout the study. Abundance population results showed very high values in relation to those recorded in recent years in Bahía Blanca Estuary. This response could be due to the unusual combination of environmental factors (polar wave with temperatures ≤6 °C and a drought period with high salinities, 32.7–36.6) recorded during the studied winter period. Significant positive correlations between abundance and salinity (p < 0.01, n = 226), and hatching success (p < 0.01, n = 25) as well as a significant negative correlation between abundance and chlorophyll a (p < 0.01, n = 226) were found. Although E. americana shows a k-strategy within its annual pulse, it presented two markedly distinct behaviours depending on temporal environmental variability. From July to early september, when the estuary evidenced high salinity, low temperature and high food availability, E. Americana showed large females, large clutch size and high hatching success. When environmental conditions became unfavorable from September to October, small females, small clutch size and very low hatching success were observed. The latter is associated with diapause egg laying which ensures population recruitment. According to our findings the particular combination of low temperatures, high salinities and high available food (i.e. variables which each year modulate its pulse) during 2007 winter–spring, favored the great development of E. americana. This invading species in its opportunistic role has managed to exploit a vacant niche in the estuary, developing two different behaviours within the k-strategy depending on change in environmental conditions.  相似文献   

8.
The sandbird octopus Amphioctopus aegina (Gray, 1849) is one of the important octopod species in trawl catches in Mandapam waters (Palk Bay). The reproductive biology of this species from these waters was studied from October 2001 to September 2002. In the majority of months(Jan–June), the sex ratio was biased towards males. The ratios of males to females increased consistently with respect to weight Total weight at first maturity were 78.78g for females and 40.8 g for males. Four maturity stags were recognized for females and two for males. Maturation and spawning occur all year round, with a peak during October and another peak during January–February. In males, no definite seasonal changes were observed in gonadosomatic index (GSI) values. In females there were two peaks in GSI values during October and January–February. For individuals of a DML range of 67–85 mm fecundity varied between 2,962–8,820 oocytes. The average relative fecundity was estimated at 68 to 83 and the average number oocytes per gram of ovary were 488 to 539.  相似文献   

9.
Cerastoderma edule and Mya arenaria are two common bivalve species in European waters. Longevity and maximum size are much greater in the latter species. Because comparison of species life-history strategies states that a long life span (i.e. high annual survival) generally goes with lower fecundity, we hypothesise that reproductive output would be lower in M. arenaria than in C. edule. In the present paper, we studied the reproductive strategies of these two species in an intertidal and a subtidal area of the western Dutch Wadden Sea, by following seasonal changes in absolute and relative weights of somatic and gonadal tissues in these bivalves. Starting of spawning was similar in the two species, around May, except for intertidal M. arenaria, which initiated spawning in August. Individual energy investment in reproduction was similar for the two species but, unlike M. arenaria, C. edule spawned completely, releasing all energy of gonadal mass in the form of gametes. Mya arenaria used the gonad not only for reproduction but also for storage. In the intertidal area, we found a trade-off between longevity and reproduction, i.e. maximum reproductive output (expressed as a proportion of body mass) was higher in C. edule than in M. arenaria. However, since body size is larger and life span longer in M. arenaria than in C. edule, mean lifetime reproductive output per individual must be higher in the first than in the latter. Based on the differences in reproductive strategies of these two species, we hypothesise that the negative effects of warming climate on bivalve population dynamics in the Wadden Sea will be stronger in C. edule than in M. arenaria.  相似文献   

10.
Halipteris finmarchica is one of the most common species of deep‐sea pennatulacean corals in the Northwest Atlantic; it was recently determined to act as a biogenic substrate for other species and as a nursery for fish larvae. Its reproductive cycle was investigated in colonies sampled in 2006 and 2007 along the continental slope of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada). Halipteris finmarchica exhibits large oocytes (maximum diameter of 1000 μm), which are consistent with lecithotrophic larval development. Female potential fecundity based on mature oocytes just before spawning was ~6 oocytes · polyp?1 (500–6300 oocytes · colony?1); male potential fecundity was 16 spermatocysts · polyp?1 (5500–57,400 spermatocysts · colony?1). Based on statistical analysis of size‐probability frequency distributions, males harboured one cohort of spermatocysts that matured inside 8–11 months, whereas females harboured two distinct cohorts of oocytes; a persistent pool of small ones (≤400 μm) and a small number (~20%) of larger ones that grew from ~400 to >800 μm over a year. Despite this difference in the tempo of oogenesis and spermatogenesis, a synchronic annual spawning was detected. A latitudinal shift in the spawning period occurred from south (April in the Laurentian Channel) to north (May in Grand Banks and July–August in Labrador/Lower Arctic), following the development of the phytoplankton bloom (i.e. sinking of phytodetritus). Prolonged oogenesis with the simultaneous presence of different oocyte classes in a given polyp is likely not uncommon in deep‐sea octocorals and could hamper the detection of annual/seasonal reproduction when sample sizes are low and/or time series discontinued or brief.  相似文献   

11.
A comparative account of primary productivity (PP), in the characteristically turbid and highly dynamic waters of Ariake Bay, measured by 13C uptake and fast repetition rate fluorometer (FRRF) was conducted to ensure compatibility between the two methods. Estimates from both methods depicted strong linearity for both short-term (r2 > 0.90) and daily (r2 = 0.42–0.93) measurements, except in the near-surface (∼0 m) layer. 13C-based short-term (1 h; in situ) PP estimates showed similar magnitudes and trend with the instantaneous PP measured by FRRF concurrently. Whereas, unlike short-term measurements, the daily PP estimates from both methods showed large difference, with FRRF-based time integrated daily PP resulting in 1.09–1.82 times higher than the carbon-based daily (24 h; simulated in situ) PP. This difference between daily PP estimates was mainly due to: (1) the temporal variation of water column chlorophyll a (Chl a) because of frequent moving of water mass, and (2) the dissimilarity in ambient light field conditions between the two methods. Results revealed that considering the above two environmental factors invariable over a daylength, fairly close approximation of daily PP, compared to 13C-based daily PP, could be obtained from FRRF. Hence, FRRF-based daily PP can be considered as more realistic in this highly dynamic water body like Ariake Bay where water column parameters are subjected to strong temporal variation. The relationship between Chl a-specific photosynthetic rate (PB) and the corresponding photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the water column (PAR–PB relationship) was found to be linear for FRRF and curvilinear for 13C-based measurements in the near-surface layer, for the same intensities of incident PAR, and this is thought to be the primary basis for the higher difference in PP estimates at the near-surface layer. Considering the minor variations in FRRF-based time series of PAR–PB relationships, a combined and/or instantaneous PAR–PB relationship in combination with incubation Chl a and light field condition was used to obtain fairly close estimates of daily water column integrated PP from FRRF.  相似文献   

12.
During a cruise of r/v ‘Oceania’ in May 2006, seven vertical dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration profiles were produced against a background of CTD, chlorophyll a (chl a) and phaeopigment concentration profiles. The results indicate distinct vertical and spatial DOC fluctuations, ranging from 248 ± 7 μmol C dm−3 at 70 m depth at the westernmost station G/06 to 398 ± 5 μmol C dm−3 at 5 m depth at station A/06 in the western Gulf of Gdańsk. DOC concentrations were the highest at 10 m depth, where phytoplankton activity was relatively intensive, as reflected by the active chl a concentration distribution. DOC concentrations decreased towards the sea bottom.  相似文献   

13.
Reproductive patterns of two benthic bathyal octopods, Pteroctopus tetracirrhus and Scaeurgus unicirrhus have been studied in extremely nutrient-poor environment of the deep-sea Eastern Mediterranean. Both species were found to exhibit a reproductive tactics of producing eggs much larger than in the western part of the sea which likely results in larger hatchlings with higher viability. P. tetracirrhus exhibited a typical “deep-sea” spawning strategy of simultaneous maturation of a single batch of large eggs with atresia of excessive oocytes, whereas reproductive strategy of S. unicirrhus is particular for shelf octopodids: asynchronous maturation of numerous batches of small eggs with no obvious regulatory atresia. Existence of these two types of ovary development and utilisation of fecundity are closely related to two types of evolutionary stable reproductive strategies based on existence of either very large or very small eggs with a few species occupying the “intermediate” position.  相似文献   

14.
Ovarian tissue samples of Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT) spawners (n = 49) caught by purse seine in the Balearic Sea (western Mediterranean) were used to assess the stock reproductive characteristics. The frequency of spawning females estimated by the postovulatory follicle method was 84% and the spawning periodicity 1.2 days. Using an unbiased stereological method, the realized batch fecundity was estimated from counts of postovulatory follicles (POFs), whereas the batch fecundity of the subsequent spawn was estimated by quantification of the number of follicles containing oocytes at maturation stage (OMFs). The number of POFs was used as a reliable proxy of the realized batch fecundity, as it represents the actual number of eggs released in the last spawning event. The average relative realized batch fecundity was estimated to be approximately 48 eggs g− 1 of total body mass. While the absolute batch fecundity was isometrically related to the fork length, the relative batch fecundity was not dependent on fish size, which leads to the assumption that all length classes contribute proportionally to their size, towards the total number of eggs spawned by the broodstock. Size-related variations in the sex ratio were observed in the study area and in other Mediterranean locations; females were more abundant in mid-size classes while males predominated in large-size classes.  相似文献   

15.
The reproductive biology of southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) inhabiting waters of the southwest Atlantic Ocean (52°‐53°S and 57°‐62°W) was studied through histological analysis of the ovaries. During 2003, the spawning peak occurred at the beginning of September south of the Malvinas Islands. Batch fecundity of this species ranged from 35 000 (41 cm total length, TL) to 245 000 (62 cm TL) oocytes and relative batch fecundity was 122 ± 43 (Mean ± SD, n = 24) oocytes per gram somatic weight. The average proportion of mature females with stage‐0 post‐ovulatory follicles was 0.25 for September 2003, which indicated a spawning frequency of 4 days during the peak of the season. Large females produced more egg batches than small spawners during the same period, but no significant relationship was found between oocyte dry weight and female size of southern blue whiting.  相似文献   

16.
Alterations in sea ice and primary production are expected to have cascading influences on the food web in high Arctic marine ecosystems. This study spanned four years and examined the spring phytoplankton production bloom in Disko Bay, West Greenland (69°N, 53°W) (using chlorophyll a concentrations as a proxy) under contrasting sea ice conditions in 2001 and 2003 (heavy sea ice) and 2002 and 2004 (light sea ice). Satellite-based observations of chlorophyll a, sea ice and sea surface temperature were used together with in situ depth profiles of chlorophyll a fluorescence collected at 24 sampling stations along the south coast of Disko Island (5-30 km offshore) in May 2003 and 2004. Chlorophyll a and sea surface temperatures were also obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS: EOS-Terra and AQUA satellites) between March 2001 and July 2004. Daily SMMR/SSMI sea ice data were obtained in the same years. An empirical regional algorithm was developed to calibrate ratios of remotely sensed measurements of water leaving radiance with in situ chlorophyll a fluorescence. The optimal integration depth was 0-4 m, explaining between 70% and 91% of the variance. The spatial development of the phytoplankton bloom showed that the southwestern corner of the study area had the earliest and the largest spring phytoplankton bloom. The eastern part of Disko Bay, influenced by meltwater outflow from the glaciers, shows no signs of an early phytoplankton bloom and followed the general pattern of an accelerated bloom soon after the disappearance of sea ice. In all four years the coupling between phytoplankton and sea ice was bounded by average open water between 50% and 80%, likely due to the combined availability of light and stable open water. The daily incremental growth in both mean chlorophyll a density (chlorophyll a per volume water, μg l−1) and abundance (density of chlorophyll a extrapolated to ice free areas, tons) estimated by linear regression (chlorophyll a vs. day) between 1 April and 15 May was highest in 2002 and 2004 (light ice years) and lowest in 2001 and 2003 (heavy ice years). In years with late sea ice retreat the chlorophyll a attained only slightly lower densities than in years with early sea ice retreat. However, the abundance of chlorophyll a in light ice years was considerably larger than in heavy ice years, and there was an obvious effect of more open water for light-induced stimulation of primary production. This observation demonstrates the importance of estimating chlorophyll a abundance rather than density in sea ice covered areas. This study also presents the first regional calibration of MODIS chlorophyll a data for Arctic waters.  相似文献   

17.
The seasonal trait of Nitzschia population was studied between May 2004 and February 2005 in Zhelin Bay. Twenty-five Nitzschia taxa were identified from samples. Among them, Nitzschia delicatissima, Nitzschia hybrida, Nitzschia longissima, Nitzschia panduriformis, Nitzschia paradoxa and Nitzschia pungens appeared all year round. The average population density of Nitzschia was 20.29 × 103 cells/dm3, contributing 16.59% to total phytoplankton. Comparing with other regions, Nitzschia population of Zhelin Bay have high species richness and intermediate population density. Nitzschia species richness of May and August was apparently lower than that of November and February, and this may be caused by water temperature and interspecific competition; Nitzschia population density was high in warm seasons (May and August) and low in cold seasons (November and February), and this may be caused by water temperature and zooplankton community structure; and underwater light intensity was important factor influencing spatial distribution of Nitzschia density.  相似文献   

18.
Hydrological alterations in watersheds have changed the flows of freshwater to many nearshore marine environments. The ensuing alterations to the salinity environment of coastal waters may have implications for species distribution. This study describes the response of two common bivalves to a modified salinity environment imposed by freshwater inputs from a hydroelectric power station in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Populations of Austrovenus stutchburyi and Paphies australis inhabiting river deltas near the outflow of the power station in inner Doubtful Sound were more than an order of magnitude smaller in abundance than populations in neighbouring Bradshaw Sound where the salinity regime is unaltered. In addition, there was a lack of small size classes of both species in inner Doubtful Sound, suggesting that these populations are unsustainable over the long term (10–20 years). Laboratory experiments demonstrated that sustained exposure (>30 days) to low salinity (<10) significantly decreased bivalve survivorship; however, both species survived periods of exposure to freshwater up to at least 20 days in duration if followed by a period of return to normal seawater salinity. Examination of the extant salinity regime in light of these results indicates the current salinity environment in Doubtful Sound restricts bivalves to deeper waters (5–6 m depth). The observed discrepancy in the total biomass of these active suspension feeders between altered and control sites has potential implications for the flux of organic matter in the food webs of Fiordland's shallow soft sediment communities.  相似文献   

19.
From January 2003 to December 2004 microphytobenthic primary production was estimated both from in situ (MPPs) and in the laboratory (MPPp) 14C-incubation of slurries collected in a coastal site of the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea). MPPs values varied from −7.54 ± 3.12 to 34.59 ± 7.66 mg C m−2 h−1 over the whole period. The lowest MPPs were observed in November 2003 and August 2004, while the highest MPPs in July 2003 and May 2004, in correspondence with high PAR at the bottom. Significant correlations between MPPs and the microphytobenthic biomass (BIOM) (r = 0.75, p < 0.001), between MPPs and PAR at the bottom (r = 0.54, p < 0.01) and between MPPs and OXY (r = 0.50, p < 0.05) were revealed. MPPp values were higher than MPPs ones in 15 out of 23 observations, with the highest MPPp recorded in July 2003. At 17 m depth a seasonal pattern of sampling months was revealed by the cluster analysis. The role of abiotic parameters in determining this seasonal pattern was highlighted by the PCA, with the first axis correlated with MPPs and PAR, and the second one with temperature. Applying the fuzzy sets it resulted that spring months showed a higher degree of membership with MPPs, summer months with temperature and autumn–winter months with OXY. The microphytobenthic community did not seem to be photosynthetically active throughout the study period. From August–September to December low or negative MPPs values were recorded. We infer that during these months a shift from the autotrophic to heterotrophic metabolism of the benthic microalgae occurred in correspondence with low PAR and/or high temperature at the bottom. Despite the progressive lowering of the trophy of the study area occurred during the last 20 years, we found higher primary production values than those estimated two decades earlier.  相似文献   

20.
We analyzed what are the best ecological conditions for megafauna associated with the bamboo coral Isidella elongata based on the geomorphological, physical and trophic information taken in 3 stations (St1, St2, St3) off the southern Catalonian coasts at 620 m depth in June 2011. Results were compared with assemblage compositions recorded in past cruises (May 1992, 1994) at the same 3 stations. St1 was in a fishing ground exploited since the 1940s over a relatively wide slope at ca. 22 km from the nearest canyon head; St2 and St3 were on a narrower slope closer to canyon heads and to the Ebro river mouth than St1. I. elongata had formed (to May 1994, at least) a dense coral forest at St2–St3 (to ca. 255 colonies/ha at St3), and some isolated colonies (to ca. 0.9 colonies/ha) were still collected in 2011. Fish and invertebrate communities significantly differed between St1 and St2/St3, with two macrourid fishes (Trachrhynchus trachyrhynchus and Nezumia aequalis) and two decapods (Plesionika martia and Plesionika acanthonotus) more abundant at St2/St3. The following ecological indicators imply better food conditions for megafauna at St2–St3 and for I. elongata itself: (i) greater density of zooplankton (copepods, euphausiids, and others) as potential prey for planktivores (including I. elongata); (ii) greater biomass and mean weight of epifaunal and infaunal deposit feeders; (iii) higher feeding intensity, F, at St3 for benthos feeders (Phycis blennoides, N. aequalis and Aristeus antennatus). Also, at St2–St3 we found higher near-bottom turbidity (indicating particle resuspension: food for suspension feeders) and finer and more reduced (Eh) sediments. The results let us suggest that corals and accompanying fauna preferently found optimal ecological conditions in the same habitat, while habitat-forming capacity by I. elongata seemed weak to generate these conditions. Coral forests may enhance detritus accumulations around them, improving habitat conditions for benthos feeders (e.g. macrourid fish). At St3 our side-scan sonar recorded three types of tracks produced by trawler doors, which match with three identified vessels occasionally operating in the area. After this low fishing activity off the Ebro Delta since the mid-1990s, almost all colonies of I. elongata has been removed. However, this impact has hardly altered fish and invertebrate composition without any significant loss of diversity, pointing also toward a rather low capacity of I. elongata facies in forming habitat for megafauna on muddy bottoms of the Mediterranean slope.  相似文献   

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