Size Influence in Zonation Patterns in Fishes and Crustaceans from Deep-water Communities of the Western Mediterranean

Abstract

Information was collected over two seasons on the depth distribution of the deep-water fishes and decapod crustaceans to the southwest of the Balearic Islands. The data were analysed to compare the intensity of faunal change with depth to individual size, measured as mean individual weight, both within and between fish and decapods. The results are discussed on the light of the biological characteristics of the populations studied. We conclude that there are complex distributions of mean weight by depth, determined mainly by trophic aspects and biological adaptations to the oligotrophic environment of the deep Mediterranean.

Spatio-temporal changes in gut contents and stable isotopes in two deep Mediterranean pandalids: influence on the reproductive cycle

“…There are reports that pandalids (Thessalou-Legaki et al 1989, Puig et al 2001) and other families inhabiting the uppermiddle slope (Morales-Nin et al 2003) undergo a continuous ontogenetic migration towards deeper waters (bigger-deeper trend). In addition, there is a tendency towards size segregation with depth for males and non-ovigerous females in contrast to ovigerous females, indicating that females move to deeper waters before egg release, then cease their migratory activity when berried (Chilari et al 2005).…”

“…Larger-deeper trends have been described for Plesionika spp. (Morales-Nin et al 2003) along the upper and middle slope in the deep Mediterranean, with smaller juveniles found associated with nepheloid layers close to the bottom (Puig et al 2001). Most trophic studies, however, lack analysis of temporal changes in feeding activity, diet and the influence of environmental factors (e.g.…”

Observations on Polycheles Sculptus S. I. Smith, 1880 (Decapoda, Palinura, Polychelidae) from Sardinian Waters (Central Western Mediterranean)

“…Mediterranean deep-bathyal communities are dominated by fishes and decapod crustaceans . Notwithstanding the fact that studies of deepwater communities have increased over the last decades, relatively little is known about the biology of some species (Morales-Nin et al, 2001;Cartès et al, 2007). In particular, the difficulty of sampling the bathyal environments (CIESM, 2003), where most of the species do not represent commercial value, allegedly is the cause of this lack of knowledge .…”

“…Some characteristics of the biology and ecology of P. typhlops have been analysed by several authors (Santucci, 1933;Carpine, 1970;Arena & Li Greci, 1973;Lagardère, 1977;Relini et al, 1986;Mura, 1987;Cartès & Abellò, 1990;Mura & Cau, 1992Cartès, 1998;Maiorano et al, 1998;Labrapoulou & Kostikas, 1999;Morales-Nin et al, 2001;Ahyong & Chan, 2004;Follesa et al, 2005Follesa et al, , 2007Cabiddu et al, 2008) both for the Mediterranean Sea and the continental Atlantic seas. In contrast, only a few studies on P. sculptus, especially for ocean environments, are known (Squires, 1965;Firth & Pequegnat, 1971;Haedrich et al, 1975;Wenner, 1979;Wenner & Boesch, 1979;Wicksten, 1980;Peres, 1985;Cartès & Abellò, 1990;Cartès, 1998;Morales-Nin et al, 2001;Wicksten & Packard, 2005;Cartès et al, 2007).…”

New Record of Elongate Lanternfish, <I>Notoscopelus Elongatus</I> (Costa, 1844), from the Coastal Waters of Aegean Sea, Turkey, with Notes on Species' Morphology and Distribution

“…Currently, the overwhelming majority of researchers, following Bolin (1959), believe that N. elongatus is an endemic of the Mediterranean (Bini 1970, Bekker 1983, Hulley 1984. It is most abundant in the western part of the sea (Bekker 1983, Moreno-Amich and Garcia-Berthou 1985, Sabatés 1990, Sabatés and Masó 1992, Morales-Nin et al 2001, Sabatés et al 2007, Fricke et al 2007) and occurs as far east as the Strait of Messina (Bini 1970, Costa 1999). However, recently N. elongatus was discovered off the Canary Islands.…”