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Distribution and ecology of Gammarus tigrinus Sexton, 1939 and some other amphipod Crustacea near Beaufort (North Carolina, U.S.A.) by Marion J. van Maren Institute of Taxonomie Zoology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands & Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina, U.S.A. Summary of North America, has at some time been intro- summer distribution of duced in During 1977 the and ecology am- western Europe and was first described phipod Crustacea in the coastal plain of north Carolina were from England by Sexton (1939). Gammarus ti- studied. Ecological data were collected in particular on has invaded all Gammarus tigrinus, a North American species, which has grinus rapidly nearly oligohaline been introduced in western Europe. The present gammarid, waters in the Netherlands, competing successfully able to endure high water and adapted to a temperatures with the indigenous gammarid species. Its range wide variety of salinities, is found in the more upstream still has been parts of the estuaries in North Carolina. More downstream, extension, proceeding, surveyed by at it is Gammarus Taxonomie higher salinities, replaced by palustris , members of the Institute of Zoology while low salinities fresh at very or in water Gammarus of the University of Amsterdam, resulting in a fasciatus is commonly met. series of some data are publications & Moreover, given on the distribution and (Nijssen Stock, 1966; of several other in the Beaufort ecology amphipod species Pinkster & Stock, 1967; Dennert et al., 1968; region. Gras, 1971; Smit, 1974; Pinkster, 1975; Dieleman Résumé & Pinkster, 1977). Pendant l'été 1977 la répartition écologique de Crustacés STUDY AREA AND METHODS amphipodes a été étudiée dans la plaine littorale de Caroline du Nord. Des observations furent effectuées en particulier sur The small town of Beaufort, situated on a tongue l’écologie de Gammarus tigrinus, espèce nord-américaine in- of mainland, is water from the troduite en Europe. Ce Gammare, capable de résister à des separated by sandy offshore known Shackleford Ac- températures élevées et adapté à des salinités très variables, bank, as Bank. est trouvé dans les des parties plus en amont estuaires de the is cess to open ocean gained by the Beaufort Caroline du Nord. Plus en aval, dans les eaux méso- et Inlet. The various waterways, which communicate polyhalines, Gammarus tigrinus est remplacé par Gammarus tandis dans les eaux douces et with palustris, que oligohalines directly or indirectly Beaufort, are very com- Gammarus fasciatus est couramment rencontré. in and contain number plicated shape a large of En plus, cette étude a fourni des données sur la répartition shoals, banks and islands. et l'écologie de plusieurs autres espèces d'Amphipodes dans la région de Beaufort. While offering a variety of sandy and muddy natural rocks substrates, no true are found in the INTRODUCTION Beaufort region. Hard substrates are formed by During summer 1977 the distribution and ecology jetties, sea walls, pilings, oyster shells and by of amphipod crustaceans was investigated in the man-made miscellaneous objects (bottles, beer coastal of plain North Carolina. The The coastal the present study cans, etc.). area of mainland is was carried out during a at the Duke Univer- stay characterized by extensive Spartina marshes. The Marine Beaufort. sity Laboratory at Amphipod tidal is for mean range 0.75 m (about 0.9 m spring were taken in estuaries and freshwater samples tides). biotopes in the Beaufort to collect data on 1 region The estuary of the Newport River ), a wide the ecology of Gammarus tigrinus in particular. Irrespective of !) the salinity or current, the water types in This species, originally inhabiting the eastern coast the area are locally called "rivers". Downloaded from Brill.com10/03/2021 01:33:45PM via free access 46 M. J. VAN MAREN - AMPHIPODA FROM BEAUFORT bay with polyhaline salinities, is connected by the Adam Creek Canal with the Neuse River. In summer, the freshwater supply of the latter is low to such an extent that marine influences are still measurable as far as New Bern, a town situated at almost 100 km from where the Neuse River discharges into the Pamlico Sound. The of the river of the vegetation swamps coastal plain is characterized by the River-cypress ( Taxodium distichum),, growing in shallow water, often over a calcareous subsoil. This tree has a trunk the and gradually tapering near base root formations, which often provide the only hard in the the substrate more upstream parts of North Carolina estuaries. Sampling of the amphipods was carried out with a dip net. As far as temperature readings have been thermometer used in made, a mercury was (scale measured with the aid 0.1°C). Salinities were of a refractometer. The pH was determined with a pH- meter "Leeds & Northrop". The animals were fixed in 4% formaldehyde and preserved in 70% ethanol. In appendix II the position of the sampling stations, visited during the present study, is given. RESULTS shows the of the Fig. 1 names amphipod species sampled at different localities in the estuary of the Neuse River, as well as the salinities measured these stations. Near at the bridge on highway 43, of S.W. Askin, gammarids still occurred, but more upstream, near Kinston, none have been found. The great majority of the Neuse River stations presented a sandy substrate. Only in those places where some hard substrate was available (mostly the the provided by roots of River-cypress) gam- Fig. 1. Salinities and amphipods at the sampling stations in in the = maridean Amphipoda were captured wave- the Neuse River (station K Kinston). washed zone of the river. The temperature of the water varied from In another tributary, the South River (discharg- 18.5°C in May to 34°C in August, while the pH- ing in the Neuse River about 50 km downstream of range was 6.3-7.3. New Bern), Gammarus palustris Bousfield, in Both stations the Trent River, a occurred a of sampled 1969, at salinity 12°/ 00 and, together of the Neuse Gammarus with Mucro tributary River, yielded gammarus mucronatus (Say, 1818), at Sexton, 1939 1 and a of These were tigrinus (salinities 2°/ 00 ). salinity 18°/00 . amphipods cap- Substrate, temperatures and pH in this stream tured amongst submerged parts of the riverbank Neuse and resemble to a large degree thoseof the River vegetation, on a bottom consisting of clay estuary. mud. Downloaded from Brill.com10/03/2021 01:33:45PM via free access 48 - BIJDRAGEN TOT DE DIERKUNDE, (1) 1978 47 Appendix I enumerates the amphipod species boro, and in the Bay River (sta. 61), a tributary the well the the Pamlico Sound. the investi- found during present study, as as of During present their this salinities conditions at sampling stations. gation species was sampled at varying The have been collected: from 0 to once it was found at following amphipods 12°/ 00 (only 22°/oo)> always on sandy substrates, among roots Family GAMMARIDAE (s.l.) of the localities G. River-cypress. In some tigrinus Gammarus tigrinus Sexton, 1939 occurred together with other amphipods: In the Besides in the Neuse and Trent Rivers, Gammarus Neuse River (figs. 1 & 2), near New Bern, to- tigrinus was found in the White Oak River (fig. gether with Gammarus daiberi Bousfield, 1969 in the Sound Swans- and Heard 2), discharging Bogue near Corophium aquafuscum & Sikora, Fig. 2. Distribution of the amphipod species N.W. of Beaufort. 4 Downloaded from Brill.com10/03/2021 01:33:45PM via free access 48 M. J. VAN MAREN - AMPHIPODA FROM BEAUFORT at a of more downstream, some devoid of such a G. 1972, salinity 2°/ 00 ; places, vegetation, pa- the contained collected shells at a salinity of 12°/ sample also lustris was amongst oyster or tree 00 , Corophium lacustre Vanhöffen, 1911, Mucrogam- roots. marus mucronatus (Say, 1818) and Gammarus While collecting, the present species was easily its behaviour: palustris Bousfield, 1969; near Cherry Point (sta. recognized by particular the shrimps 6), the latter two occurred together with G. climbed out of the water (in the vial) and were at a of 10°/ in the White Oak able to "rise to their feet", like tigrinus salinity 00; beachhoppers do. River, at a salinity of l°/oo> only single specimens (Talitridae) use to of G. palustris and C. lacustre were sampled to- Ovigerous females and/or precopulae were gether with G. tigrinus. found from May to August. in Ovigerous females of G. tigrinus occurred a sample taken in June (salinity l°/oo> temp. Mucrogammarus mucronatus (Say, 1818) 25.5°C). Mucrogammarus mucronatus occurred sometimes, together with Gammarus palustris, in the Spartina Gammarus daiberi Bousfield, 1969 marshes, but never at salinities lower than 10°/00 . On mixed with Gammarus daiberi, a species closely related to muddy substrates, cobbles and with the Gammarus tigrinus, occurred latter in the shells, the present gammarid was found together samples from the head of the Neuse River estuary, with Melita nitida Smith, 1873 (viz., the Town- at salinities varying from 0 to 7°/oo- creek at Beaufort). In that case the vegetation consisted of Ulva, Fucus vesiculosus or Chaeto- Gammarus fasciatus Say, 1818 morpha. The salinities measured for Mucrogam- marus varied from to mucronatus 10 32°/ . Gammarus fasciatus was collected mainly in mod- 00 females of the oc- in Ovigerous present species erately running streams and sometimes slowly in in curred a sample collected May. running or stagnant water. Water temperatures varied from 15.5 to 27°C, the pH from 5.6 to 7.5, Crangonyx serratus (Embody, 1910) and the salinity values in places where G. fasciatus occurred did not exceed 5°/oo- h lives in shallow Crangonyx serratus seems to prefer stagnant water small it freshwater streams or small marshy ponds (to- of marshy ponds, although sometimes with in with gether Crangonyx serratus (Embody, 1910)), occurs running water, not rarely together in varying depth from 0.3 m to a few meters, Gammarus fasciatus.