Abstract
Quantitative data on size structure of the ophiuroid Amphiura filiformis (O.F. Müller) from 35 benthic stations in the Kattegat sampled twice with a 143 d interval, June and October 1991, were used to estimate somatic growth. The material was objectively divided into cohorts, and cohorts, from the two occasions were paired to give estimates of growth. The growth constant, K, in the Von Bertalanffy equation, was estimated from a Ford-Walford plot to 0.54 yr-1. Results were in agreement with previous estimates from a few single sites, and suggest that the main part of dise growth occurs within the first 5 to 7 yr of living. Size specific growth in oral width was density independent despite high densities of A. filiformis (>3000 ind m-2) and high total benthic biomass (up to 1000 g wet wt m-2) in some areas. Growth was uncorrelated with plant pigment concentrations in the sediment and showed weak positive correlation with sediment carbon and nitrogen, as well as water depth. Growth was higher in fine sediments. This is the first attempt to estimate growth in this important species over a large area and to relate growth in the field to environmental factors.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baden S, Loo L-O, Pihl L, Rosenberg R (1990) Effects of eutrophication on benthic communities, including fish, Swedish west coast. Ambio 19: 113–122
Bourgoin A, Guillou M (1988) Demographie d'Amphiura filiformis (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) en baie de Concarneau (Finistere, France). Oceanol Acta 11: 79–87
Buchanan JB (1964) A comparative study of some features of the biology of Amphiura filiformis and Amphiura chiajei (Ophiuroidea) considered in relation to their distribution. J mar biol Ass UK 44:565–576
Christensen H, Kanneworff E (1985) Sedimenting phytoplankton as major food source for suspension and deposit feeders in the Øresund. Orphelia 24: 223–244
Crisp DJ (1984) Energy flow measurements. In: Holme NA, McIntyre AD (eds) Methods for the study of marine benthos. IBP Hand Book 16. Blackwell Science Publications, Oxford, pp 284–372
Cuff W, Coleman N (1979) Optimal survey design: lessons from a stratified random sample of macrobenthos. J Fish Res Bd Can 36: 351–361
Duineveld GCA, Künitzer A, Heyman RP (1987) Amphiura filiformis (Ophiuroidea: Echinodermata) in the North Sea. Distribution, present and former abundance and size composition. Neth J Sea Res 21: 317–329
Duineveld GCA, Van Noort GJ (1986) Observations on the population dynamics of Amphiura filiformis (Ophiuroidea: Echinodermata) in the southern North Sea and its exploitation by the dab, Limanda limanda. Neth J Sea Res 20: 85–94
Gage JD (1990) Skeletal growth bands in brittle stars: microstructure and significance as age markers. J mar biol Ass UK 70: 209–224
Green RH (1980) Comment on optimal survey design-Comment. Can J Fish aquat Sciences 37: 296
Jensen JN, Josefson AB (in preparation) Spatial patterns in population structure of the brittle star Amphiura filiformis in the Kattegat area-abundance, biomass, and size distributions
Josefson AB, Jensen JN (1992) Growth patterns of Amphiura filiformis support the hypothesis of organic enrichment in Skagerrak-Kattegat area. Mar Biol 112: 615–624
Künitzer A (1989) Factors affecting the population dynamics of Amphiura filiformis (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) and Mysella bidentata (Bivalvia: Galeommatacea) in the North Sea. In: Ryland JS, Tyler PA (eds) Reproduction, genetics and distributions of marine organisms. Olsen & Olsen, Fredensborg, Denmark, pp 395–406
Lorenzen CJ (1967) Determination of chlorophyll and phaeopigments: spectrophotometric equations. Limnol Oceanogr 12: 343–346
MacDonald PDM, Pitcher TJ (1979) Age groups from size frequency data: a versatile and efficient method of analysing distribution mixtures. J Fish Res Bd Can 36: 989–1001
Muus K (1981) Density and growth of juvenile Amphiura filiformis (Ophiuroidea) in the Øresund. Ophelia 20: 153–168
Ockelmann KW, Muus K (1978) The biology, ecology and behaviour of the bivalve Mysella bidentata (Montagu). Ophelia 17: 1–93
O'Connor B, Bowmer T, Grehan A (1983) Long-term assessment of the population dynamics of Amphiura filiformis (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) in Galway Bay (west coast of Ireland). Mar Biol 75: 279–286
Pearson TH, Josefson AB, Rosenberg R (1985) Petersen's benthic stations revisited. I. Is the Kattegat becoming eutrophic? J exp mar Biol Ecol 92: 157–206
Pearson TH, Rosenberg R (1978) Macrobenthic succession in relation to organic enrichment and pollution of the marine environment. Oceanogr mar Biol A Rev 16: 229–311
Peterson CH (1979) Predation, competitive exclusion, and diversity in the soft-sediment benthio communities of estuaries and lagoons. In: Livingston RJ (ed) Ecological processes in coastal and marine systems Plenum Press, New York, pp 233–264
Ricker WE (1979) Growth rates and models. In: Hoar WS, Randall DJ, Brett DJ (eds) Fisch physiology. 3. Academic Press Inc., New York, pp 678–743
Rosenberg R, Loo L-O (1988) Marine eutrophication induced oxygen deficiency: effects on soft bottom fauna, western Sweden. Ophelia 29: 213–225
Rutgers van der Loeff MM, Andersson LG, Hall POJ, Iverfeldt Å, Josefson AB, Sundby B, Westerlund SFG (1984) The asphyxiation technique: an approach to distinguishing between molecular diffusion and biologically mediated transport at the sediment-water interface. Limnol Oceanogr 29: 675–686
Saila SB, Pikanowski RA, Vaughan DS (1976) Optimum allocation strategies for sampling benthos in the New York Bight. Estuar cstl mar Sci 4: 119–128
Salzwedel H (1974) Arm-regeneration bei Amphiura filiformis (Ophiuroidea). Veroff Inst Meeresforsch Bremerh 14: 161–167
Sköld M, Loo L-O, Rosenberg R (1994) Production, dynamics and demography of an Amphiura filiformis population. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 103: 81–90
Stancyk SE, Golde HM, Pape-Lindstrom PA, Dobson WE (1994) Born to lose. I. Measures of tissue loss and regeneration by the brittlestar Microphiopholis gracillima (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea). Mar Biol 118: 451–462
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by L. Hagerman, Helsingør
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Josefson, A.B. Large-scale estimate of somatic growth in Amphiura filiformis (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea). Marine Biology 124, 435–442 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00363917
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00363917