New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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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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