Amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda) associated with red algae (Rhodophyta) in Kandalaksha Bay (the White Sea, Russia)
Amphipods' assemblages living in the red algae communities were studied in Velikaya Salma Strait (Kandalaksha Bay, north-western White Sea) in the depth range of 3–11 m. Sampling sites were located along the depth and shore exposure gradients in the areas with a significant number of rhodophyte...
| Published in: | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2011
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315411001676 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315411001676 |
| Summary: | Amphipods' assemblages living in the red algae communities were studied in Velikaya Salma Strait (Kandalaksha Bay, north-western White Sea) in the depth range of 3–11 m. Sampling sites were located along the depth and shore exposure gradients in the areas with a significant number of rhodophytes. In total 12 species of amphipods were found with Ampithoe rubricata and Crassicorophium bonellii being most common and abundant. Gammaropsis melanops and Pleusymtes glaber were revealed as subdominant species. As an algal grazer A. rubricata appeared to be the species most closely associated with various algal assemblages. Crassicorophium bonellii were found on substrates being a deposit feeder predominantly inhabiting mixed assemblages of red algae where deposition and accumulation of seston most likely took place. Gammaropsis melanops and P. glaber are known as grazers but they preferred the habitats with both red algae and sponges. None of the species can be considered as obligate inhabitants of red algae hosts. Ampithoe rubricata and C. bonellii occurred in red algae communities in the shallow area (about 4 m). The most diverse and quantitatively rich amphipod assemblages were found at depths of 8–9 m in the area protected from waves and surf by the islands. Three of the most common and abundant species A. rubricata, C. bonellii and P. glaber are considered as amphiboreal while most of the species associated with rhodophytes belong to the Arctic-boreal ones. Amphiboreal species are presumably adapted to a broader temperature-range, in particular to higher summer temperature, than the Arctic-boreal species; they most likely have an advantage when occupying biotopes at shallow subtidal depth with local conditions in the White Sea. |
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