Abstract
The spatial relationship of interstitial metazoans to sources of oxygen has been studied on a tidal flat in the Wadden Sea near Sylt (eastern part of the North Sea). Consistently, meiofauna remains in close proximity to oxygenated layers or pocket areas within the sediment. This is exemplified by the pattern of meiofaunal abundance and species composition alongside oxic burrows of the lugworm Arenicola marina L. A specific meiofauna confined to oxygen-deficient horizons of the sediment does not exist.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Aller, R.C. and J.Y. Yingst: Biogeochemistry of tube-dwelling: a study of the sedentary polychaete Amphitrite ornata (Leidy). J. mar. Res. 36, 201–254 (1978)
Ax, P. and R. Ax: Das Verteilungsprinzip des subterranen Psammon am Übergang Meer-Süßwasser. Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 1, 1–51 (1970)
Bacescu, M.: Contribution a la biocoenologie de la Mer Noire. L'étage périazoique et le faciès dreissenifère. Leurs caractéristiques. Rapp. p.-v. Réun. Commn int. Explor. scient. Mer Méditerr. 17, 107–122 (1963)
Boaden, P.J.S.: Anaerobiosis, meiofauna and early metazoan evolution. Zoologica Scr. 4, 21–24 (1975)
—: Thiobiotic facts and fancies (aspects of the distribution and evolution of anaerobic meiofauna). Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 61, 45–63 (1977)
— and H.M. Platt: Daily migration patterns in an intertidal meiobenthic community. Thalassia jugosl. 7, 1–12 (1971)
Brafield, A.E.: The oxygen content of interstitial water in sandy shores. J. Anim. Ecol. 33, 97–116 (1964)
Cadée, G.C.: Sediment reworking of Arenicola marina on tidal flats in the Dutch Wadden Sea. Neth. J. Sea Res. 10, 440–460 (1976)
Clemmey, H.: World's oldest animal traces. Nature, Lond. 261, 576–578 (1976)
Crezée, M.: Solenofilomorphidae (Acoela), major component of a new turbellarian association in the sulfide system. Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol. 61, 105–129 (1976)
Ehlers, U.: Zur Populationstruktur interstitieller Typhloplanoida und Dalyellioida (Turbellaria, Neorhabdocoela). Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 19, 1–105 (1973)
Elmgren, R.: Benthic meiofauna as indicator of oxygen conditions in the northern Baltic proper. Merentutkimuslait. Julk. (Havsforsk-Inst. Skr., Helsingf.) 239, 265–271 (1975)
Faubel, A.: Populationsdynamik und Lebenszyklen interstitieller Acoela und Macrostomida (Turbellaria). Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 56, 1–107 (1976)
Fenchel, T.M. and R.J. Riedl: The sulfide system: a new biotic community underneath the oxidized layer of marine sand bottoms. Mar. Biol. 7, 255–268 (1970)
Goldhaber, M.B. and I.R. Kaplan: The sulfur cycle. In: The sea, Vol. 5. pp 569–655. Ed. by E.D. Goldberg. New York: Wiley-Interscience 1974
Hartwig, E.: Die Ciliaten des Gezeiten-Sandstrandes der Nordseeinsel Sylt. II. Ökologie. Mikrofauna. Meeresbod. 21, 3–171 (1973)
Hoxhold, S.: Zur Populationsstruktur und Abundanzdynamik interstitieller Kalytorhynchia (Turbellaria, Neorhabdocoela). Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 41, 1–134 (1974)
Hylleberg, J.: Selective feeding by Abarenicola pacifica with notes on Abarenicola vagabunda and a concept of gardening in lugworms. Ophelia 14, 113–137 (1975)
Jansson, B.-O.: Quantitative and experimental studies of the interstitial fauna in four Swedish sandy beaches. Ophelia 5, 1–71 (1968)
Johnson, R.G.: Vertical variation in particulate matter in the upper twenty centimeters of marine sediments. J. mar. Res. 35, 273–282 (1977)
Lasserre, P. and J. Renaud-Mornant: Resistance and respiratory physiology of intertidal meiofauna to oxygen-deficiency. Neth. J. Sea Res. 7, 290–302 (1973)
Little-Gadow, S.: Sedimente und Chemismus. In: Das Watt, pp 51–62. Ed. by H.-E. Reineck. Frankfurt-Main: Waldemar Kramer 1978
McLachlan, A.: A quantitative analysis of the meiofauna and the chemistry of the redox potential discontinuity zone in a sheltered sandy beach. Estuar. cstl mar. Sci. 7, 275–290 (1978)
Maguire, C. and P.J.S. Boaden: Energy and evolution in the thiobios. An extrapolation from the marine gastrotrich Thiodasys sterrei. Cah. Biol. mar. 16, 635–646 (1975)
Meineke, T. und W. Westheide: Gezeitenabhängige Wanderungen der Interstitialfauna in einem Sandstrand der Insel Sylt (Nordsee). Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 75, 1–36 (1979)
Mielke, W.: Ökologie der Copepoda eines Sand-strandes der Nordseeinsel Sylt. Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 59, 1–86 (1976)
Müller, U. und P. Ax: Gnathostomulida von der Nordseeinsel Sylt mit Beobachtungen zur Lebensweise und Entwicklung von Gnathostomula paradoxa Ax. Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 9, 1–41 (1971)
Ott, J.: Determination of fauna boundaries of nematodes in an intertidal sand flat. Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol. 57, 645–663 (1972)
— and R. Machan: Dynamics of climatic parameters in intertidal sediments. Thalassia jugols. 7, 219–229 (1971)
— and F. Schiemer: Respiration and anaerobiosis of free living nematodes from marine and limnic sediments. Neth. J. Sea Res. 7, 233–243 (1973)
Pawlak, R.: Zur Systematik und Ökologie (Lebenszyklen, Populationsdynamik) der Turbellarien-Gattung Paromalostomum. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 19, 417–454 (1969)
Platt, H.M.: Vertical and horizontal distribution of free-living marine nematodes from Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland. Cah. Biol. mar. 18, 261–273 (1977)
Reise, K.: Experiments on epibenthic predation in the Wadden Sea. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 31, 55–101 (1978)
Salvini-Plawen, V.L.: On the origin and evolution of the lower Metazoa. Z. zool. Syst. EvolForsch. 16, 40–88 (1978)
Schiemer, F.: Respiration rates of two species of Gnathostomulida. Oecologia (Berl.) 13, 403–406 (1973)
Smidt, E.: Animal production in the Danish Waddensea. Meddr Kommn Danm. Fisk.-og Havunders. (Ser. Fiskeri) 11, 1–151 (1951)
Sopott, B.: Jahreszeitliche Vereilung und Lebenszyklen der Proseriata (Turbellaria) eines Sandstrandes der Nordseeinsel Sylt. Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 15, 1–106 (1973)
Teal, J.M. and W. Wieser: The distribution and ecology of nematodes in a Georgia salt marsh. Limnol. Oceanogr. 11, 217–222 (1966)
Towe, K.M.: Early Precambrian oxygen: a case against photosynthesis. Nature, Lond. 274, 657–661 (1978)
Westheide, W.: Zur quantitativen Verteilung von Bakterien und Hefen in einem Gezeitenstrand der Nordseeküste. Mar. Biol. 1, 336–347 (1968)
Wieser, W. and J. Kanwisher: Ecological and physiological studies on marine nematodes from a small salt marsh near Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Limnol. Oceanogr. 6, 262–270 (1961)
—, J. Ott, E. Schiemer and E. Gnaiger: An ecophysiological study of some meiofauna species inhabiting a sandy beach at Bermuda. Mar. Biol. 26, 235–248 (1974)
Wohlenberg, E.: Die Wattenmeer-Lebensgemeinschaften im Königshafen von Sylt. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 1, 1–92 (1937)
Zebe, E.: In vivo-Untersuchungen über den Glucose-Abbau bei Arenicola marina (Annelida, Polychaeta). J. comp. Physiol. 101, 133–145 (1975)
Zobell, C.E. and C.B. Feltham: The bacterial flora of a marine mud flat as an ecological factor. Ecology 23, 69–77 (1942)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reise, K., Ax, P. A meiofaunal “thiobios” limited to the anaerobic sulfide system of marine sand does not exist. Mar. Biol. 54, 225–237 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395785
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395785