New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Epibenthic communities on the Chatham Rise, New Zealand
D. G. MCKNIGHT
National Institute of Water & Atmospheric
Research Ltd
P. O. Box 14 901, Kilbirnie
Wellington, New Zealand
P. K. PROBERT
Department of Marine Science
University of Otago
P. O. Box 56
Dunedin, New Zealand
Abstract Samples of epibenthic macrofauna were collected
using a small sledge trawl from 40 stations on the Chatham Rise
(42deg.34[[minute]]-44deg.47[[minute]]S;
175deg.34[[minute]]E-179deg.03[[minute]]W) at water depths of 237-2039 m. 218
taxa were collected, predominantly echinoderms, crustaceans, and molluscs.
Multivariate analysis based on 85 species indicated three epibenthic
communities, the shallowest characterised mainly by crustaceans and two deeper
water communities mainly characterised by echinoderms: (1) a community on
predominantly sandy sediments on the crest and shallower flanks of the Rise at
237-602 m that included as characteristic species Munida gracilis,
Phylladiorhynchus pusillus, Campylonotus rathbunae,
Pontophilus acutirostris, and Acutiserolis bromleyana
(Crustacea), Amphiura lanceolata (Ophiuroidea), Cuspidaria
fairchildi, and Euciroa galatheae (Bivalvia); (2) a community
associated with muddy sediments at 462-1693 m that included Ypsilothuria
bitentaculata and Pentadactyla longidentis (Holothuroidea),
Brissopsis oldhami (Echinoidea), and Amphiophiura ornata
(Ophiuroidea); and (3) a community on muddy sediments at 799-2039 m that
included Ophiomusium lymani (Ophiuroidea), Porcellanaster
ceruleus (Asteroidea), Gracilechinus multidentatus (Echinoidea), and
Aeneator recens (Gastropoda). Bathymetric range of the communities was
not symmetrical on either side of the Rise; there was a marked submergence on
the north side similar to the vertical displacement of the core of the
Antarctic Intermediate Water.
Keywords New Zealand; Chatham Rise; bathyal benthos;
epifauna; communities; Echinodermata; Crustacea; Mollusca
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1997, Vol. 31:
505-513
0028-8330/97/3104-0505 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1997
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (594K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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