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Biodiversity of peracarid crustaceans(Malacostraca) from the shelf downto the deep Arctic Ocean

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Abstract

During three expeditions with the RVs Meteor and Polarstern more than sixty thousand peracarids were sampled from the deep Arctic Ocean (northern North Atlantic) by means of an epibenthic sledge. Sampling areas were the Kolbeinsey Ridge north of Iceland (800–1100 m), the Northeast Water Polynya, off Greenland (45–517m), and 75°N east of Greenland (197–2681m). Until now 288 species of Peracarida have been identified to species level. These 288 species comprise 152 genera and 59 families of Amphipoda, Cumacea, Isopoda, Mysidacea and Tanaidacea. Thirty-eight genera were very frequent and were sampled at each expedition (these were 22 species of Isopoda, seven species of Cumacea, three species of Amphipoda and Mysidacea, each, and two species of Tanaidacea). Sixty genera are eurybathic, occurring at least over a depth range of 1000m, some even from the shelf up to 2681m depth. Only 10 genera are stenobathic, occurring only in the deep sea. No significant decrease in species number with depth or latitude could be observed. The influencing factors probably causing different community structures are diverse, ranging from food availability over substrate or hydrographical qualities to interspecific competition.

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  1. Zoological Institute and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146, Hamburg, Germany

    Angelika Brandt

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Brandt, A. Biodiversity of peracarid crustaceans(Malacostraca) from the shelf downto the deep Arctic Ocean. Biodiversity and Conservation 6, 1533–1556 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018318604032

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