JPR Advance Access originally published online on September 11, 2006
Journal of Plankton Research 2006 28(12):1143-1151; doi:10.1093/plankt/fbl044
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Epipelagic siphonophore assemblages associated with water masses along a transect between Chile and Easter Island (eastern South Pacific Ocean)
Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, PO Box 1020, Valparaíso, Chile
* Corresponding Author: spalma{at}ucv.cl
Received on June 13, 2006; revised on August 4, 2006; accepted on September 7, 2006
Communicating editor: K.J. Flynn
| Abstract |
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We analyze for the first time the spatial distribution of siphonophores in relation to water masses along a 3750-km oceanic transect between the Chilean coast and the Easter Island (27° S), a sector scarcely known of eastern South Pacific Ocean. Thirty-one siphonophore species were identified; Sulculeolaria turgida and Vogtia glabra were recorded for the first time in this sector. The most abundant species were Muggiaea atlantica (29.2%), Eudoxoides spiralis (24.5%) and Lensia subtilis (13.1%). Two different siphonophore assemblages east and west of 76 W, associated respectively with Subantarctic Water and Subtropical Water masses, can be used as water mass indicators. The former included the three most abundant species, whereas the latter showed greater species richness. This study provides basic knowledge on spatial distribution of siphonophores, which is important to develop future research focused on understanding the ecological role and biological processes driven by planktonic organisms in the southeastern Pacific Ocean.