Abstract
Twenty-one species of halocyprid ostracods were identified from 7778 specimens caught in 144 neuston net hauls taken from the research vessel “Walther Herwig” in the Atlantic Ocean. Hauls taken during dusk were richer both in specimens and in species than later in the night. Few if any specimens occurred in daytime catches. Eighty-eight percent of the specimens were male Conchoecia spinirostris, which were observed to swarm at the surface at dusk in two positions. Many of the species occurred over a wide range of hydrographic conditions, and only in the region 40°S; 39°W did representatives of the cold-water fauna appear. The species could be categorised into 5 groups, depending on zoogeographical ranges and daytime depth distributions; the majority of the species ranged from 40°N–40°S, and had daytime maxima in the upper 100 m. It is concluded that ostracods only constitute important food items for carnivores feeding in the neuston when the latter are permanently in the neuston; the occurrence of vertically migrating carnivores does not coincide with the maximum occurrence of ostracods in the neuston.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Angel, M.V.: Observations on the behaviour of Conchoecia spinirostris. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 50, 731–736 (1970)
—: Conchoecia pseudoparthenoda (nov. sp.) a new halocyprid ostracod for the tropical North Atlantic. Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (D, Zool). 21, 289–296 (1972a)
—: Planktonic oceanic ostracods—historical, present and future. Proc. R. Soc. Edinb. (Sect. B) 73, 213–228 (1972b)
Backus, R.H., J.E. Craddock, R.L. Haedrich and D.L. Shores: The distribution of mesopelagic fish in the equatorial and Western North Atlantic Ocean. J. mar. Res. 28, 179–201 (1970)
David, P.M.: The neuston net. A device for sampling the surface fauna of the ocean. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 45, 313–320 (1965)
Deevey, G.B.: Pelagic ostracods of the Sargasso Sea off Bermuda. Bull. Peabody Mus. nat. Hist. 26, 1–125 (1968)
—: Pelagic ostracods (Myodocopa Halocyprididae) from the North Atlantic off Barbados. Proc. biol. Soc. Wash. 82, 799–824 (1970)
Hartmann, J.: Juvenile saury pike (Scomberesox saurus Walb), an example of ichthyoneuston. J. Cons. int. Explor. Mer 33, 245–255 (1970)
Hempel, G. and H. Weikert: The neuston of the subtropical and boreal North-eastern Atlantic Ocean. A review. Mar. Biol. 13, 70–88 (1972)
Krefft, G.: Investigations on midwater fish in the Atlantic Ocean. Ber. dt. wiss. Kommn Meeresforsch. 23, 226–254 (1974)
Malfait, B.J. and M.G. Dinkelman: Circum-Caribbean tectonic and igneous activity and the evolution of the Caribbean Plate. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 83, 251–272 (1972)
Merrett, N.R. and H.S.J. Roe: Patterns and selectivity in the feeding of certain mesopelagic fishes. Mar. Biol. 28, 115–126 (1974)
Poulsen, E.M.: Ostracoda-Myodocopa Pt. III A. Halocypriformes—Thaumatocypridae and Halocypridae. Dana Rep. 75, 1–100 (1969)
—: Ostracoda-Myodocopa Pt. III B. Halocypriformes—Halocypridae Conchoecinae. Dana Rep. 84, 1–224 (1973)
Ramirez, F.C. y A. Moguilevsky: Ostracodos planctonicos hellados en aguas oceanicos frente a la Provincia de Buenos Aires (Resultados de la XLI Commissao Oceanografica Costa Sul). Physis, B. Aires 30, 637–666 (1971)
Skogsberg, T.: Studies on marine ostracods. I. Cypridinids, halocyprids and polycopids. Zool. Bidr. Upps. (Suppl.) 1, 1–784 (1920)
Weikert, H.: Verteilung und Tagesperiodik des Evertebratenneuston im subtropischen Nordostatlantik während der Atlantischen Kuppenfahrten 1967 von F.S. “Meteor”. “Meteor” ForschErgebn. (D) 11, 29–87 (1972)
—: Zur Ökologie der Pontellidae (Copepoda, Calanoida) in subtropischen Nordostatlantik. “Meteor” ForschErgebn. (D) 16, 42–59 (1973)
Wiborg, K.F.: Investigations in zooplankton in coastal and offshore waters of western and northwestern Norway. FiskDir. Skr. (Ser. Havunders) 11, 1–246 (1954)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J.H.S. Blaxter, Oban
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moguilevsky, A., Angel, M.V. Halocyprid ostracods in Atlantic neuston. Mar. Biol. 32, 295–302 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00399208
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00399208