Abstract
Published and unpublished records of epipelagic calycophoran siphonophores from around southern Africa were examined for zoogeographic structure. There is a close match between prevailing patterns of surface ocean circulation and zoogeography, which while similar to previous studies of intertidal taxa and euphausiids, is different from them in some key details. Separate subtropical provinces are associated with both the Angola and Agulhas Currents, and the latter system has a marked influence on the composition of (warm-temperate) assemblages along the south coast of South Africa. The nearshore waters in the Benguela upwelling ecosystem (cold temperate) are distinct, but the Lüderitz upwelling cell does not appear to act as an internal boundary within the Benguela ecosystem, as has been previously noted for benthic communities. Species richness is greater in oceanic than coastal waters, and peaks in subtropical waters. High diversity is also noted offshore in the area between Capes Agulhas and Columbine, where water of Indian, Southern and Atlantic Ocean interact. Indicator species for each major water mass were tentatively identified.
Published Version
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