Distribution of euphausiid and decapod larvae in the spring plankton of the southern Barents Sea

Abstract

New data have been obtained on the spatial distribution of the early developmental stages of Malacostraca in the mesozooplankton of the southern Barents Sea. In spring 2007, the euphausiid stages with the highest abundance (over 80%) were eggs and nauplii. Decapod larvae were represented by zoeae of Paralithodes camtschaticus, Paguruspubescens, and Hyas araneus; their abundance was at most 1.5% of total zooplankton abundance. The larvaton groups dominant by abundance were furciliae of Euphasiacea (14.5 +/- 6.2 mg/m3) and zoeae of P. camtschaticus (32.7 +/- 15.9 mg/m3). The size structure of larval hemipopulations was similar over the studied water area. Comparison with data on the larval body length obtained in other areas of the sea leads to a conclusion on the independence of the decapod groups of Eastern and Western Murman.