Keywords:
Hochschulschrift
Description / Table of Contents:
Chaetognaths contribute significantly to the zooplankton abundance and biomass in the ocean. Numerous studies have focused on the epipelagic chaetognath community, whereas little attention has been paid to the mesoand bathypelagic realm in the Southern Ocean. Therefore stratified deep sampling between 500 and 2000 m depth with low mesh sizes combined with laboratory studies on board ship and at the home institute has provided a unique opportunity for a detailed investigation of Antarctic chaetognaths. Their distribution patterns, abundance and composition were studied in conjunction with their biology during summer and winter. Special attention was given to the examination of reproduction, feeding, respiration and lipid metabolism of selected species. The Antarctic meso- and bathypelagic chaetognath community consisted of ten species from three genera. Eukrohnia hamata and Sagitta marri showed highest numbers and decreased with increasing depth. E. bathypelagica and E. bathyantarctica were less abundant, but had their distribution maxima in the 1000 to 2000 m range. Rare species such as Heterokrohnia fragilis and H. mirabilis were only caught in few numbers below 1500 m depth. S. gazellae and S. maxima, the two largest species in this community, had also a low abundance, possibly due to escape reactions from the net and/or to a different vertical and horizontal distribution pattern. However, each species appears to have its own spatial niche within this ecosystem. ...
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
Pages:
Online-Ressource
Series Statement:
Berichte zur Polar- und Meeresforschung 610
URL:
http://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.34655
URL:
http://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.34655.d001
URL:
http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-2011022315308
URL:
http://d-nb.info/1010200844/34
URL:
http://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.34655.d001
URN:
urn:nbn:de:101:1-2011022315308
DDC:
570
Language:
English
,
German
Note:
Zugl.: Bremen, Univ., Diss., 2009
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