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Water-body preferences of dominant calanoid copepod species in the Angola-Benguela frontal zone

  • N Loick
  • W Ekau
  • HM Verheye

Abstract

The distribution of five dominant calanoid copepods was related to different water masses in the Angola-Benguela Front system. Five water bodies were identified by principal component analysis, on the basis of abiotic parameter such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, silicate, nitrate and nitrite. These parameters were reduced to single factors and arranged along two principal component axes. The copepod species incuded females and copepodites C5 of Calanoides carinatus and females of Metridia lucens, Centropages brachiatus, Nannocalanus minor and Aetideopsis carinata. The water bodies identified in the frontal system were related to currents, upwelling processes, an oxygen minimum layer and biological modification. The different copepod species, as well as the two ontogenetic stages of C. carinatus, showed clear preference for specific water bodies, and their behavioural and physiological adaptations to the environment are discussed.

Cite this activity

Loick N., Ekau W. and Verheye H. (2005) Water-body preferences of dominant calanoid copepod species in the Angola-Benguela frontal zone. African Journal of Marine Science 27(3): 597-608. 10.2989/18142320509504120

Details

Date 01.01.2005
Journal African Journal of Marine Science
Issue 3
Volume 27
Pages 597-608
Open Access Closed Access
Open Access Status Closed Access
Eprints_link https://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/5943
Peer-Reviewed

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