Seasonal and Spatial Patterns of an Epibenthic Decapod Crustacean Assemblage in North-west Atlantic Continental Shelf Waters

Abstract

To examine seasonal and spatial patterns in a mobile marine assemblage, monthly samples were taken in triplicate with a 2-m beam trawl (6-mm mesh) at three separate stations (landward of the ridge, on the ridge top, and seaward of the ridge). The assemblage was of epibenthic decapod crustaceans, and was situated at a north-west Atlantic continental shelf, sandy ridge site. The assemblage was composed of nine species and was extremely variable over time and space. The sevenspine bay shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa), the Atlantic rock crab (Cancer irroratus), the spider crab (Libinia emarginata) and the lady crab (Ovalipes ocellatus) were the numerical dominants, comprising >98% of all decapods collected. Three of these species (C. septemspinosa,C. irroratus,L. emarginata) exhibited marked spatial heterogeneity in abundance, with many fewer found on the ridge top than at either of the other two stations.Ovalipes ocellatuswas not as spatially variable.Crangonshowed two clear peaks, in spring and fall, as didLibinia, but neither appeared to use the site as a nursery area.Ovalipes ocellatusandC. irroratuseach showed a single peak of very small individuals in the summer and appeared to use this site for settlement. Komolgorov-Smirnov tests, analysis of variance and cluster analysis showed much less difference in assemblage structure between the landward and seaward stations than was demonstrated between either station and the ridge top. The presence of the sand ridge had a clear impact on the abundance and distribution of local decapod crustacean populations.