Amphipods in sediment traps of the eastern Fram Strait with focus on the life-history of the lysianassoid Cyclocaris guilelmi

• Published in: Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
• Main Authors: Kraft, Angelina, Bauerfeind, Eduard, Nöthig, Eva-Maria, Klages, Michael, Beszczynska-Möller, Agnieszka, Bathmann, Ulrich
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Arctic amphipod; Arctic Ocean; Cyclocaris; Cyclocaris guilelmi; Fram Strait
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/25732/; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2012.11.012; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.41008

Life-cycle characteristics of the free-swimming lysianassoid amphipod Cyclocaris guilelmi were investigated and compared to those of other regularly appearing amphipods in the Arctic deep-sea community. In this context we analysed time-series data of meso- and bathypelagic amphipods collected as swimmers in moored sediment traps from 2004-2008 at the deep-sea long-term observatory HAUSGARTEN (79°N/4°E) in the eastern Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean. Six mesopelagic and three bathypelagic deep-sea amphipod species regularly occurred in the traps. The lysianassoid C. guilelmi showed a stable interannual population size and seasonal peaks in its occurrence from August to February during the five-year sampling period. The investigation of its population structure and reproduction ecology indicated year-round breeding behavior of this species. Up to 4 cohorts consisting mainly of juvenile and female C. guilelmi were observed. We conclude that C guilelmi plays an important role within the Arctic amphipod deep water community.