The bathypelagic Decapoda,Lophogastrida, and Mysida of the eastern Gulf of Mexico |
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Authors: | Scott E Burghart Thomas L Hopkins José J Torres |
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Institution: | (1) University of South Florida College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA |
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Abstract: | The Earth’s greatest living space is found in the bathypelagic zone of the oceans (depths >1,000 m), yet little research has
been dedicated to these ecosystems. The micronekton of the bathypelagic zone in the eastern Gulf of Mexico (EGOM) was investigated
with the goal of comparing its community structure with that of the well-studied mesopelagic micronekton. Herein is described
a portion of that community, specifically species belonging to the orders Lophogastrida, Mysida, and Decapoda. A total of
46 species were collected, most of which have broad zoogeographic distributions. Seventeen of the species had not previously
been collected above 1,000 m in the same location despite over 20 years of sampling. Compared to the mesopelagic zone, the
bathypelagic community showed increased contributions to abundance and estimated biomass from the Oplophoridae and Eucopiidae,
with a simultaneous decrease in the importance of the Dendrobranchiata. In addition, the bathypelagic zone was distinguished
by a relatively high percentage of individuals that brood their eggs (77% vs. 15% in the mesopelagic zone). The results are
interpreted as evidence that the bathypelagic zone contains a distinct pelagic community, with a biology and ecology fundamentally
different from that of the mesopelagic zone. |
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