Comparative life-histories, population dynamics and productivity of Schistomysis populations (Crustacea, Mysida) in European shelf environments
Introduction
Mysid crustaceans are common macrobenthic animals, frequently reported from the benthic boundary layer and occurring in high abundance in European shelf ecosystems. Mysids are able to bioturbate fine sediments breaking the diffusive boundary layer with their feeding and swimming behavior, phenomenon of great importance on pelago-benthic fluxes exchanges (Sainte-Marie and Brunel, 1985, Vallet and Dauvin, 2001, Wildish et al., 1992) and through the remineralization of substantial environment detritus making it available to the higher trophic levels in the same or in other habitats (Carleton and McKinnon, 2007, Lesutiene et al., 2008). Furthermore, mysids are highly consumed by a great variety of benthic predators in coastal environments and play an important role in their trophodynamics (Fanelli, 2007, Hamerlynck et al., 1990, Mees and Hamerlynck, 1992, Sorbe, 1981).
Despite their high abundance in most coastal benthic ecosystems, mysids are not frequently reported in benthic studies due to inadequate sampling methodology. Owing to their relative high natatory capacity, mysids often escape when benthic assemblages are sampled by traditional devices such as grabs or box cores. Their adequate sampling in the near-bottom environment can be more efficiently carried out with suprabenthic sledges (see San Vicente and Sorbe, 1993b, Sorbe, 1983) These devices are equipped with small mesh-size nets (generally 0.5 mm), with a closing–opening system and are towed over the bottom along a measurable distance (quantitative samplings). Recent studies confirm the efficiency of such samplers in the biodiversity coverage of suprabenthic mysids (San Vicente, 2010a, San Vicente and Cartes, 2011).
In neritic European waters, the genus Schistomysis Norman, 1892 (Mysida, Mysidae) is represented by five species from soft-bottom habitats: Schistomysis assimilis (G.O. Sars, 1877) from the western Mediterranean Sea, Schistomysis kervillei (G.O. Sars, 1885), Schistomysis ornata (G.O. Sars, 1864), Schistomysis parkeri Norman, 1892 and Schistomysis spiritus (Norman, 1860) from the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean. A sixth species, Schistomysis elegans G.O. Sars, 1907 is only known form muddy bottoms of the Caspian Sea, at depths ranging from 10 to > 400 m (Daneliya and Petryashov, 2011, Parr et al., 2007).
In European waters, Schistomysis populations constitute a dominant component of suprabenthic communities, from beach swash-zones down to circalittoral bottoms (Beyst et al., 2001, Dewicke et al., 2003, San Vicente, 1996, Sorbe, 1984). Due to their high abundance, they were selected to investigate several aspects of their biology: population dynamics, fecundity, voltinism and secondary production. As a complement to the pioneering studies conducted by Mauchline, 1967, Mauchline, 1970, Mauchline, 1971 on the biology of Scottish populations, this paper is a comparative biological study based on our own previous investigations on S. ornata, S. kervillei, S. parkeri and S. spiritus from the SE Bay of Biscay (by Sorbe, 1984, Sorbe, 1991 and San Vicente and Sorbe, 1990, San Vicente and Sorbe, 1993a, San Vicente and Sorbe, 1995) and S. assimilis (e.g. San Vicente and Sorbe, 2003) from the Catalan Sea.
Section snippets
Study areas
The Schistomysis populations herein studied were monthly sampled in different areas and at different periods: S. kervillei, S. spiritus and S. ornata on the bathymetric transect 44°31′N of the Aquitanian shelf off Arcachon Bay (SE Bay of Biscay) in 1981–1982; S. parkeri in the swash-zone of Hendaia beach (SE Bay of Biscay) and S. assimilis in the surf-zone of Creixell beach (Catalan Sea) in 1991–1992 (Fig. 1). Occasionally, further data (from complementary time-series and/or new sampling zones)
Habitat, bathymetric distribution and migrations
During daytime, all Schistomysis populations live in close contact with the bottom (suprabenthic environment). On submarine sandy beaches, S. assimilis and S. parkeri were regularly observed to swim and aggregate in dense swarms within the first 4–5 cm near-bottom water layer (original scuba observations). On deeper soft-bottom shelf areas, the diverse Schistomysis populations live in the near-bottom environment during daytime (Fig. 3), as demonstrated by their higher abundance in the 0–50 cm
Identification and morphological observations
Tattersall and Tattersall (1951) discussed the generic placement and diagnosis of Schistomysis, and described in detail the morphology of the known northeastern Atlantic species. Keeble and Gamble (1904) gave a detailed account of chromatophore arrangement in these species. Sars, 1877, Sars, 1907 and Bacescu (1941) described the Mediterranean and Caspian species.
The long cylindrical eyestalks distinguish S. spiritus from the other species of the genus as well as from most of Mysida which have
Concluding remarks
Schistomysis species seem to be opportunist r-strategy mysids as suggested by their respective demographic features (abundance fluctuations, fecundity, production, ratio). According to Mauchline (1980), mysids play an important role in the functioning of soft-bottom benthic marine ecosystems. This is also true for all the Schistomysis species herein studied, forming resident and dominant populations within their respective suprabenthic communities and representing a potential food resource
Acknowledgments
We wish to express our gratitude to E. Garnacho, J.C. López, P. Maluquer, N. Mendez, J.A. Pasicot, C. Sola (INSUB, San Sebastian) and Z. Sorbe for their friendly help during beach samplings as well as to the crew of the RV “Côte d'Aquitaine” and our colleagues G. Bachelet, J.M. Bouchet, M. Cornet, E. Puente, J.P. Lissalde (Station Marine d'Arcachon) for their helpful assistance at sea during shelf samplings (RETRODE cruises). Thanks to O. Weber (Université de Bordeaux 1) and T. Calafat
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