Abstract
Krill (Euphausia superba Dana), the dominant member of the Zooplankton community of the Southern Ocean, has been the subject of study for many years. As the main prey species of the baleen whales, several species of seals and many sea bird, fish and cephalopod species, its importance within the ecosystem is clear. It is important for the practicalities of management of the Southern Ocean to estimate the ability of krill to sustain a harvest by man or by its natural predators1,2. This estimation requires a knowledge of growth and longevity3,4, which in krill are the subject of some controversy. Conflicting results have been obtained from krill size composition analysis, which indicates a short lifespan, and age pigment analysis, which indicates a longer life. Here we have analysed eight years of data on krill taken between 1928 and 1938 and have obtained estimates which consistently indicate high growth rates, modulated by a strong seasonal pattern. The cumulative growth through the year is therefore consistent with the studies of age structure using pigment analysis.
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Rosenberg, A., Beddington, J. & Basson, M. Growth and longevity of krill during the first decade of pelagic whaling. Nature 324, 152–154 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/324152a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/324152a0
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