Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sympagic amphipods in the Arctic pack ice: redescriptions of Eusirus holmii Hansen, 1887 and Pleusymtes karstensi (Barnard, 1959)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Polar Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

During an expedition into the Arctic Ocean, in September 2004, six different species of amphipods were collected in the ice above 82°N. All six species (Apherusa glacialis, Gammarus wilkitzkii, Onisimus nanseni, O. glacialis, Pleusymtes karstensi and Eusirus holmii) were observed to be living adjacent to the sea ice or partly within its brine channels. The nature of the association with the ice for the last two species is uncertain, but the finding raises important questions regarding our knowledge of the sympagic fauna. Based on the obtained material, the two species E. holmii and P. karstensi are redescribed, and their association with the sea ice is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arndt CE, Berge J, Brandt A (2005) Mouthpart-atlas of arctic sympagic amphipods—trophic niche separation based on mouthpart morphology and feeding ecology. J Crust Biol 25:401–412. doi:10.1651/C-2544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arndt CE, Lønne OJ (2002) Transport of bioenergy by large scale arctic ice drift.In: Proceedings of the 16th IAHR international symposium on ice. International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research, Dunedin, New Zealand, pp 103–111

  • Arndt CE, Pavlova O (2005) Origin and fate of ice fauna in the Fram Strait–Svalbard area. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 301:55–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Arndt CE, Swadling KM (2006) Crustacea in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice: distribution, diet and life history strategies. Adv Mar Biol 51:197–315

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Auel H, Werner I (2003) Feeding, respiration and life history of the hyperiid amphipod Themisto libellula in the Arctic marginal ice zone of the Greenland Sea. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 296:183–197. doi:10.1016/S0022–0981(03)00321-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnard JL (1959) Epipelagic and under-ice amphipoda (Crustacea) of the central Arctic Basin. In: Bushnell V (ed) Scientific studies at Fletcher’s Ice Island T-3, 1952–1955. Geophys Res Pap 63:115–153

  • Barnard JL, Karaman GS (1991) The families and Genera of Marine Gammaridean Amphipoda (except Marine Gammaroids). Parts 1 & 2. Rec Aus Mus Suppl 13:866

    Google Scholar 

  • Berge J (ed) (2003) Influence of the physical environment on the distribution of benthic macrofauna along the coasts of Svalbard. AB-321 UNIS Publication Series ISSN 1503–4410

  • Carey AG (1985) Marine ice fauna: Arctic. In: Horner RA (ed) Sea ice biota. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 173–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulliksen B, Lønne OJ (1989) Distribution, abundance, and ecological importance of marine sympagic fauna in the Arctic. Rapp P-v Réun Cons Int Explor Mer 188:133–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulliksen B, Lønne OJ (1991) Sea ice macrofauna in the Antarctic and the Arctic. J Mar Syst 2:53–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen HJ (1887) Oversigt over de paa Dijmphna-Togtet indsamlede Krebsdyr. Dijmphna-Togtets Zoologisk-Botaniske Udbytte, Del II. Dijmphna-Togtets zoologiske udbytte 1887, pp 183–286, pls 20–24

  • Hendrycks EA, Bousfield EL (2004) The amphipod family Pleustidae (mainly subfamilies Mesopleustinae, Neopleustinae, Pleusymtinae and Stenopleustinae) from the Pacific coast of North America: systematics and distributional ecology. Amphipacifica 3(4):45–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Hop H, Poltermann M, Lønne OL, Falk-Petersen S, Korsnes R, Budgell WP (2000) Ice amphipod distribution relative to ice density and under-ice topography in the northern Barents Sea. Polar Biol 23:357–367. doi:10.1007/s003000050456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnsen S (2001) Hidden in plain sight: the ecology and physiology of organismal transparency. Biol Bull 201:301–318

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnsen S (2005) The red and the black: bioluminescence and the color of animals in the Deep Sea. Integr Comp Biol 45:234–246. doi:10.1093/icb/45.2.234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln RJ (1979) British marine Amphipoda: Gammariidea. Brit Mus Nat Hist, London pp 658

    Google Scholar 

  • Lønne OJ (1988) A diver-operated electric suction sampler for sympagic (= under-ice) invertebrates. Polar Res 6:135–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lønne OJ, Gulliksen B (1989) Size, Age, and Diet of Polar Cod, Boreogadus saida (Lepechin, 1773), in Ice Covered Waters. Polar Biol 9:187–191. doi:10.1007/BF00297174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melnikov IA, Kolikov AS (1980) The cryopelagic fauna of the central Arctic basin. Biol (in Russian). Tsentral’nogo Arkticheskogo Basseina, pp 97–111

  • Scott CL, Falk-Petersen S, Sargent JR, Hop H, Lønne OJ, Poltermann M (1999) Lipids and trophic interactions of ice fauna and pelagic zooplankton in the marginal ice zone of the Barents Sea. Polar Biol 21:65–70. doi:10.1007/s003000050335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott CL, Falk-Petersen S, Gulliksen B, Lønne OJ, Sargent JR (2001) Lipid indicators of the diet of the sympagic amphipod Gammarus wilkitzkii in the Marginal Ice Zone and in open waters of Svalbard (Arctic). Polar Biol 24:572–576. doi:10.1007/s003000100252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steele DH, Steele VJ (1976) Some aspects of the biology of Gammaracanthus loricatus (Sabine) (Crustacea, Amphipoda). Astarte 8:69–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephensen K (1940) The Amphipoda of N. Norway and Spitsbergen with adjacent waters. Tromsø Museum Skrifter 3:279–362

    Google Scholar 

  • Tencati JR, Geiger SR (1968) Pelagic amphipods of the slope waters of northeast Greenland. J Fish Res Bd Can 25:1637–1650

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner I, Auel H, Friedrich C (2002) Carnivorous feeding and respiration of the Arctic under-ice amphipod Gammarus wilkitzkii. Polar Biol 25:523–530. doi:10.1007/s00300-002-0376-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werner I, Auel H, Kiko R (2004) Occurrence of Anonyx sarsi (Amphipoda: Lysianassoidae) below Arctic pack ice—an example for cryo-benthic coupling?. Polar Biol 27:474–481. doi:10.1007/s00300-004-0616-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werner I (2005) Living conditions, abundance and biomass of under-ice fauna in the Storfjord area (western Barents Sea, Arctic) in late winter (March 2003). Polar Biol 28:311–318. doi:10.1007/s00300-004-0678-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werner I, Auel H (2005) Seasonal variability in abundance, respiration and lipid composition of Arctic under-ice amphipods. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 292:251–262

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank UNIS and ZMUC for providing excellent logistical support as well as an inspirational scientific environment. The support of Jørgen Olesen, ZMUC, use of facilities and hospitality are greatly appreciated. Bjørn Gulliksen is thanked for the use of photos in Fig. 6a and c. Crew and colleagues on R/V Jan Mayen AB-320 cruise are thanked for their assistance in the field. This study was supported by Nordic Council of Ministers “Nordlys” stipendium, Knud Højgaards Fond, and Frederik and Emma Kraghs Mindelegat.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UNIS, The University Centre in Svalbard, Pb 156, 9171, Longyearbyen, Norway

    Martin O. Macnaughton, Jonas Thormar & Jørgen Berge

  2. Zoological Museum, SNM, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

    Martin O. Macnaughton & Jonas Thormar

Authors
  1. Martin O. Macnaughton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jonas Thormar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jørgen Berge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jørgen Berge.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Macnaughton, M.O., Thormar, J. & Berge, J. Sympagic amphipods in the Arctic pack ice: redescriptions of Eusirus holmii Hansen, 1887 and Pleusymtes karstensi (Barnard, 1959). Polar Biol 30, 1013–1025 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0260-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0260-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation