O N the Distribution of Eurytemora Affinis (P Oppe) (Copepoda)
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Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. J t8f 1462-1672 Leningrad, Dezember 11173 On the distribution of Eurytemora affinis (P o p p e) (Copepoda) in the Western Scheldt estuary Niels De Pauw With 4 figures and 4 tables in the text Introduction The phyto- and zooplankton composition and its distribution in the Western Scheldt Estuary was studied for a period of three years, in relation to several ecological para meters such as salinity, temperatura, oxygen, nutrients, ete. (cf. de P a u w 1971). The Scheldt is a coastal plain estuary with a vertically homogeneous type of circulation, according to the classification of B o w d e n (1967) and showing a regular chlorinity (salinity) - gradient going from nearly pure sea water at the rivermouth to freshwater some 100 km inland (see Fig. 4). The chlorinity is mainly dependent on discharge of fresh water, fluctuating between a few and several hundred m3/sec (cf. C o d d e 1951 and P e e l e n 1967). As a result, the isohalines in the estuary can shift over considerable di stances during the course of the year. Copepods were the main component of the zooplankton in the Scheldt estuary. Within this group, the holoplanktonic calanoid copepod species Eurytemora afftnis occurred cer tainly in the largest numbers and persisted throughout the year. In the literatura much attention has been paid to the biology of this, in the northern hemisphere, widely di stributed species (S a r s 1903; P e s t a 1929; G u r n e y 1931; J e f f r i e s 1962 and K a t o n a 1970) which is quantitatively very productive and may constitute an important food for many fishes (cf. L a d i g e s 1935; J e f f e r i e s 1962 and K a t o n a 1970). E. affinis seems to thrive in very different habitats, in the sea as well as in coastal pools, saltmarsh pools, channels, harbours and even in stagnant inland freshwater la kes. Most ri'Cords however come from estuaries, bays and lagoons. J e f f r i e s (1962) calls the genus true-estuarine. It is the aim of this communication to analyze more closely the salinity-space di stribution of E. affinis in the Scheldt estuary and to study the ways in which the Eury temora populations maintain themselves in certain areas. Results and Discussion 1.Salinity-space distribution in the Scheldt e s t u a r y. Geographically E. affinis was observed from the rivermouth up to Ant werp, covering a zone of 80 km in length along the axis. The chlorinity-range within Eurytemora was foun d varied between 17 .90%o ei- (sea water) and 0.0710foo ei- (fresh water), the water temperature-range between 2 and 24° e and the oxygen content between 106 and 2.4% satura tion. These data correspond well with those found in the literatura, in the field (B u l l 1931 in G u r n e y 1931, P e r e i v a l 1929, e r o n i n et al. 1962, K u h l & M a n n 1962 and H a e r t e l et al. 1969) as well as in culture experiments (H e i n l e 1970 and K a t o n a 1970). Tab. 1 gives two distribution situations of E. a/finis along the axis of the estuary. Maximum densities were counted in Breskens, Terneuzen and Bath- Tab. 1. E. affints : Distribution and population composition in the Scheldt estuary. 12. 12. 1967 Breskens Vllssingen Sloehaven B. 9 Terneuzen M G-E Hansweert B-60 Bath Zandvliet KM ....... 2 2 5 8 20.5 27 36 47 52 56 gC}Ofto • • • • • • 17.30 16.73 16.73 16.73 15.31 15.74 13.91 11.65 9.36 7.22 Total N /50 l . 56 16 o o 198 o 9 130 449 860 Cocfrepodids . 29 10 o o 130 o 9 70 264 600 A ults ..... 27 (100%) 6 (100%) o o 68 (1oou,;,) o o 60 (100%) 185 (100%) 260 (100%) 17 (63%) 4 (67%) o o 54 (79~;.) o o 60 (100%) 170 (92%) 200 (77%) ~~_: eggs : : : : 3 (11%) 2 (33%) o o 4 (6%) o o o 10 (5%) 35 (13%) ~ +eggs .... 7 (26°u) o o o 10 (15?;,) o o o 5 (3%) 25 (10%) 27. 12. \967 Bath Zandvliet Schljn Ft. Parel Antwerpen KM ......... 52 56 64 69 78 gCl0/yo · . · · · · · 6.80 2.90 0.95 0.59 0.12 Tota N/50 l .... 770 16 o o o Copepodids . 288 7 Adults ....... 482 (100%) 9 (100%) ~ó ......... 400 (83%) 9 (100%) ~- eggs ..... 56 (12%) o ~~+eggs ...... 26 (5%) o Tab. 1 (continued) Hans- 20. 3. 1968 Breskens Vllssingen Sloehaven B. 9 Terneuzen M G-E weert B-60 Bat h Zandvliet gClOfoo ...... 13.37 13.14 12.54 11.11 9.31 9.31 6.87 3.60 2.35 1.20 Total N/50 l .. 28 o o 52 535 144 256 1150 1259 455 Coc:fuepodids . o o o 36 315 124 248 1000 1030 370 A ults ..... 28 (100%) o o 16 (100%) 220 (100%) 20 (100%) 8 (100%) 150 (100%) 229 (100%) 85 (100" 1u) ~~ ....... 24 (86%) o o 12 (75%) 200 (91%) 20 (100%) 6 (75%) 100 (67%) 125 (55%) 30 (35%) - eggs .... 4 (14%) o o 4 (25%) 20 (9%) o o 35 ~23%) 48 (21 %) 40 (47%) ~~+eggs .... o o o o o o 2 (25%) 15 10%) 56 (24%) 15 (18%) 26. 3. 1968 Zandvliet Schljn Antwerpen gClOfoo · • • · · 1.91 1.36 0.43 TotlaLN/50 lit. 1175 780 110 Copepodids . 855 645 100 Adillts .. 320 (100%) 135 (100%) 10 (100%) 210 (66%) 70 (52%) 6 (60%) ~~·- .eggs . .• ... 60 (18%) 45 (33%) 2 (20%) +eggs. 50 (16%) 20 (15%) 2 (20%) H. De Pauw, On the distribution of Eurytemora affinis 1465 Zandvliet at different chlorinities. On other occasions, maximum densities were also noted near the Schijn (Fig. 1). From these data it appears that several geographically separated Eurytemora populations could be present in the main stream of the Scheldt estuary, and well in the neighbourhood of harbours, sluice-docks and mudflat-saltmarsh systems. Cl~ %o • BaelhoeK 8. 60 lvfax. in • 8ath 8. 75 { o Zanduliet 8.67 • SchiJn 8.!17 15 --ftace-bound tendency 13 11 !J 7 5 3 /· JFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONO 1967 1!168 1969 Fig. 1. The chlorinities at which E. affinis was found in the Scheldt estuary (small spots). The circles refer to the chlorinitief.' and different places at which maximum population densities occurred along the axis of the stream. The largest and most persistent Eurytemora population could be observed in the zone Baelhoek-Zandvliet, situated in the neighbourhood of the Sub merged Land of Saaftinghe. In this area production maxima occurred in prac tically every month of the year except for J anuary-February and August early September. Fig. 1 refers to the different chlorinities at which E. affinis was found during the year (black spots). The circles correspond to the chlorinities at which the maximum number of E. affinis was found. 1466 X. Ecology of Freshwater Organisms. 3. Aquatic Animals The maximum density in a series of samples nearly always oeeurred in the rather restrieted zone between Baelhoek and Zandvliet (some 10 km in lenght) although different ehlorinity values were reeorded. The line linking the ma xima of oeeurrenee (eireles) stresses the plaee-bound tendeney of E. affinis in the Seheldt together with its relative independaney of ehlorinities. The maxima were situated between 0.25 and 10%0 Cl' ( = ±0.5 -18%0 S). J e f f r i e s (1962), analyzing the distribution in several Ameriean estuaries, demonstrated the preferenee of Eurytemora for waters of 5-15°k0 S. He furthermore hypothized that "when more than one-third of the lenght of an estuary is bounded by the 5-15°ko S ( = ±3-9%0 Cl')-isohalines, repre sentatives of the genus greatly outnumber all other holoplanetonie forms during the winter-spring period". In the Seheldt the 5-15°k0 S zone extends over some 30 km. This is about a third. However, we observed eonsiderable shifts of these isohalines during the eourse of the year whereas the E. affinis populations remained dominant in the same plaee-bound areas. Furthermore several E. affinis populations were found dominating outside this 5-15%0 zone and independent of the populations in the 5-15%0 S zone. In J anuary-February 67, the 5-15oloo S zone lai d even eompletely outside the optimal E. ajjinis propagation zone of the Submerged Land of Saaftinghe. Diffieulties in applying tbe distribution model of J e f f r i e s were also reported by H a e r t e l et al. (1967). 2. P o p u l a t i o n e o m p o s i t i o n. Sex-ratio's were generally in favour of the males as well at the surfaee as near the bottom (Tab. 2). The average pereentages of males varied between 60 to 70%. Analogieal observations were also made by P e r e i v a l (1929), P e e l e n (in V a a s 1968) and H e i n l e (1970). However, though the pereentages males-females fluetuated sharply, a gradient of the sex ratio along the axis of the stream was observed in favour of the females, often inereasing to approximately 50% in the neighbourhood of the Submerged Land of Saaftinghe (Baelhoek-Zandvliet).