Abstract
Seventy-five species of pteropods (20 species), euphausiids (26 spcies), and chaelognaths (29 species) occur in the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. All but one of these species are present in the South China Sea, while only 17 species (7 pteropods, 1 euphausiid, and 9 chaetognaths) are consistently present in the Gulf of Thailand. Abundances of South China Sea species have significant positive rank correlations with depth of water, salinity, and dissolved oxygen and negative correlations with temperature. These species are most abundant in the northern, oceanic, two-thirds of the South China Sea and many of them are vertical migrators or live at depth. Species in the Gulf of Thailand may be divided into two subgroups based on their tolerance for the semi-estuarine environment. Species in the most tolerant subgroup are more abundant within the Gulf of Thailand than in the South China Sea and have significant negative rank correlations with depth of water, salinity, and dissolved oxygen and positive correlations with temperature. The shallow, low-salinity environment of the Gulf is not as favorable for the species of the second sub-group. Rank correlations with depth of water, salinity, temperature, and oxygen are the same in sign but lower in value than for the South China Sea species, and maxisium abundances occur in the 50 to 200 m water depths of the southern third of the South China Sea. Species inhabiting the Gulf of Thailand are mostly non-migrators which are epipelagic even in the open ocean. The proportion of tolerant species diffiers among the major taxonomic groups, reflecting differing adaptive strategies.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Alvariño, A.: Chaetognaths. Oceanogr. mar. Biol. A. Rev. 3, 115–194 (1965)
Baker, A. deC.: The vertical distribution of euphausiids near Fuerteventura, Canary Islands (Discovery Sond Cruise, 1965). J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 50, 301–342 (1970)
Bé, A.W.H. and D.S. Tolderlund: Distribution and ecology of living planktonic foraminifera in surface waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In: Micropaleontology of oceans, pp 105–149. Ed. by B.M. Funnell and W.R. Riedel. London: Cambridge University Press 1971
Bieri, R.: The distribution of the planktonic chaetognatha in the Pacific and their relationship to the water masses. Limnol. Oceanogr. 4, 1–27 (1959)
Bradshaw, J.S.: Ecology of living planktonic foraminifera in the north and equatorial Pacific Ocean. Contr. Cushman Fdn foramin. Res. 10, 25–64 (1959)
Brinton, E.: The distribution of Pacific euphausiids. Bull. Scripps Instn Oceanogr. tech. Ser. 8, 51–270 (1962)
—: Vertical distribution and avoidance capability of euphausiids in the California Current. Limnol. Oceanogr. 12, 451–482 (1967)
—: Euphausiids of Southeast Asian waters. Naga Rep. 4 (5), 1–287 (1975)
Chen, C. and A.W.H. Bé: Seasonal distributions of euthecosomatous pteropods in the surface waters of five stations in the western North Atlantic. Bull. mar. Sci. Gulf Caribb. 14, 185–220 (1964)
Fager, E.W.: Determination and analysis of recurrent groups. Ecology 38, 586–595 (1957)
— and J.A. McGowan: Zooplankton species groups in the North Pacific. Science, N.Y. 140, 453–460 (1963)
Faughn, J.L.: Naga expedition, station index and data. Naga Rep. 1, 1–177 (1974)
Friedman, M.: The use of ranks to avoid the assumption of normality in the analysis of variance. J. Am. statist. Ass. 32, 675–701 (1937)
Honjo, S., K.O. Emery, and S. Yamamoto: Non-combustible suspended matter in surface waters off eastern Asia. Sedimentology 21, 555–575 (1974)
Kendall, M.G.: Rank correlation methods, 2nd ed. 196 pp. London: Charles Griffin 1955
Lyons, H.W.: Seasonality in central North Pacific chaetognaths, 143 pp. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, San Diego 1976
McGowan, J.A.: The systematics, distribution, and abundance of Euthecosomata of the North Pacific, 197 pp. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, San Diego 1960
Robinson, M.K.: The physical oceanography of the Gulf of Thailand, Naga Expedition. Naga Rep. 3 (1), 1–109 (1974)
Rottman, M.L.: Euthecosomatous pteropods (mollusca) in the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea: seasonal distribution and species associations. Naga Rep. 4 (6), 1–117 (1976)
Rottman, M.L.: Euthecosomatous pteropods and planktonic foraminifera in Southeast Asian marine waters: species associations and distribution in sediments, 235 pp. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Colorado, Boulder 1977
Sakthivel, M.: Studies on euthecosomata of the Indian Ocean, 384 pp. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Cochin, India 1972
Siegel, S.: Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences, 312 pp. New York: McGraw-Hill 1956
Spoel, S. van der: Euthecosomata, a group with remarkable developmental stages (Gastropoda, Pteropoda), 375 pp. Gorinchem: J. Noordiujn en Zoon N.V. 1967
Wyrtki, K.: Physical oceanography of the South-east Asian waters. Naga Rep. 2, 1–195 (1961)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by M.R. Tripp, Newark
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rottman, M.L. Ecology of recurrent groups of pteropods, euphausiids, and chaetognaths in the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. Mar. Biol. 48, 63–78 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390532
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390532