Abstract
Population structure, growth and body composition (wet-, dry-, ash weight and total lipid) of the Arctic pelagic amphipod Themisto libellula were studied in four fjords on West Spitsbergen, Svalbard, from July to December 2000 and in April 2002. In one of the fjords, Kongsfjorden, growth of T. libellula was calculated as the change in mean length of the 0+ cohort from July to December. The young were released from the brood pouches in early spring (March–April). Summer growth was 3.5 mm month−1, whereas growth during the autumn was only 0.6 mm month−1. The size frequency distributions indicated a 2–2.5 year life-span. The size structure of the population in Hornsund, the southernmost fjord on Spitsbergen, indicated a delayed time of spawning. The storage of lipids in T. libellula occurred during late summer and towards the winter, when the food items contain the maximum amount of stored lipids.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Auel H, Werner I (2003) Feeding, respiration and life history of the hyperiid amphipod Themisto libellula in the Arctic marginal ice zone of the Greenland Sea. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 296:183–197
Auel H, Harjes M, da Rocha R, Stubing D, Hagen W (2002) Lipid biomarkers indicate different ecological niches and trophic relationships of the Arctic hyperiid amphipods Themisto abyssorum and T. libellula. Polar Biol 25:374–383
Basedow SL, Eiane K, Tverberg V, Spindler M (2004) Advection of zooplankton in an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard). Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 60:113–124
Bowman TE (1960) The pelagic amphipod genus Parathemisto (Hyperiidea: Hyperiidae) in the North Pacific and adjacent Arctic Ocean. Proc US Nat Mus 112:343–392
Clarke A (1992) Reproduction in the cold: Thorson revisited. Invertebr Reprod Dev 22:175–184
Cottier F, Tverberg V, Inall M, Svendsen H, Nilsen F, Griffiths C (2005) Water mass modification in an Arctic fjord through cross-shelf exchange: the seasonal hydrography of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. J Geophys Res 110, C12005. DOI 10.1029/2004JC002757
Dalpadado P (2002) Inter-specific variations in distribution, abundance and possible life-cycle patterns of Themisto spp. (Amphipoda) in the Barents Sea. Polar Biol 25:656–666
Dunbar MJ (1946) On Themisto libellula in Baffin Island coastal waters. J Fish Res Board Can 6:419–434
Dunbar MJ (1957) The determinants of production in northern seas; a study of the biology of Themisto libellula, Mandt. Can J Zool 35:343–391
Falk-Petersen S (1981) Ecological investigation on the zooplankton community of Balsfjorden, northern Norway: seasonal changes in body weight and main biochemical composition of Thysanoessa inermis (Kroyer), T. raschii (M. Sars), and Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars) in relation to environmental factors. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 49:103–120
Falk-Petersen S (1985) Growth of the euphausiids Thysanoessa inermis, Thysanoessa raschii, and Meganyctiphanes norvegica in a Subarctic fjord, north Norway. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 42:14–22
Falk-Petersen S, Sargent JR, Tande KS (1987) Lipid composition of zooplankton in relation to Subarctic food web. Polar Biol 8:115–120
Falk-Petersen S, Hopkins CCE, Sargent JR (1990) Trophic relationships in the pelagic, Arctic food web. In: Barnes M, Gibson RN (eds) Trophic relationships in the marine environment. Proceedings of the 24th European marine biological symposium, Aberdeen University Press, Aberdeen pp 315–333
Folch J, Lees M, Stanley HS (1957) A simple method for the isolation and purification of total
Grainger EH (1985) Vertical distribution of zooplankton in the central Arctic Ocean. In: Rey L, Alexander V (eds) Proceedings of the sixth conference of the Comité Arctique International, 13–15. Brill EJ, New York, pp 48–60
Gulliksen B, Holte B, Jakola KJ, Gray JS (1985) The soft bottom fauna in Van Mijenfjord and Raudfjord, Svalbard. Marine biology of polar regions and effects of stress on marine organisms. Proceedings of the 18th European marine biology symposium, Norway, pp 199–215
Koszteyn J, Timofeev S, Weslawski JM, Malinga B (1995) Size structure of Themisto abyssorum (Boeck) and Themisto libellula (Mandt) populations in European Arctic Seas. Polar Biol 15:85–92
Lee RF (1975) Lipids in arctic zooplankton. Comp Biochem Physiol 51B:263–266
Loeng H (1991) Features of the physical oceanographic conditions of the Barents Sea. Polar Res 10:5–18
Lønne OJ, Gabrielsen GW (1992) Summer diet of seabirds feeding in sea-ice-covered waters near Svalbard. Polar Biol 12:685–692
Lønne OJ, Gulliksen B (1989) Size, age and diet of polar cod, Boreogadus saida (Lepechin 1973) in ice covered waters. Polar Biol 9:187–191
Lydersen C, Gjertz I, Weslawski JM (1989) Stomach contents of autumn-feeding marine vertebrates from Hornsund, Svalbard. Polar Res 25:107–114
Lydersen C, Angantyr LA, Wiig Ø, Øristland T (1991) Feeding habits of northeast Atlantic harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) along the summer ice edge of the Barents Sea. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 48:2180–2183
MacDonald PTM, Green PEJ (1988) User’s guide to program MIX: an interactive program for fitting mixtures of distribution. Ichthus data system, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
MacDonald PTM, Pitcher J (1979) Age-groups from size-frequency data: a versatile and efficient method of analyzing distribution mixtures. J Fish Res Board Can 36:987–1001
McLaren IA (1958) The biology of the ringed seal (Phoca hispida, Schreber) in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Bull Fish Res Board Can 118:97
Motoda S (1959) Devices of simple plankton apparatus. Mem Fac Fish, Hokkaido University 7:73–94
Percy JA (1993) Reproduction and growth of the Arctic hyperiid amphipod Themisto libellula, Mandt. Polar Biol 13:131–139
Scott CL, Falk-Petersen S, Sargent JR, Hop H, Lønne OJ, Poltermann M (1999) Lipids and trophic interactions of ice fauna and pelagic zooplankton in the marginal ice zone of the Barents Sea. Polar Biol 21:65–70
Scott CL, Kwasniewski S, Falk-Petersen S, Sargent JR (2000) Lipid and life strategies of Calanus hyperboreus in late autumn, Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Polar Biol 23:510–516
Scott CL, Kwasniewski S, Falk-Petersen S, Sargent JR (2002) Species differences, origins and functions of fatty alcohols and fatty acids in the wax ester and phospholipids of Calanus hyperboreus, C. glacialis and C. finmarchicus from Arctic waters. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 235:127–134
Svendsen H, Beszczynska-Møller A, Hagen JO, Lefauconnier B, Tverberg V, Gerland S, Ørbæk JB, Bischof K, Papucci C, Zajaczkowiski M, Azzolini R, Bruland O, Wiencke C, Winther J-G, Dallmann W (2002) The physical environment of Kongsfjorden-Krossfjorden, an Arctic fjord system in Svalbard. Polar Res 21:133–166
Swerpel S (1985). The Hornsund fiord: water masses. Pol Polar Res 6:475–496
Weslawski JM, Jankowski A, Kwasniewski S, Swerpel S, Ryg M (1991) Summer hydrology and zooplankton in two Svalbard fjords. Pol Polar Res 12:445–460
Wing BL (1976) Ecology of Parathemisto libellula and P. pacifica (Amphipoda: Hyperiidea) in Alaskan coastal waters. Northwest Fish Cent Proc Rep, March 1976. US Nat Mar Fish Serv
Acknowledgements
We thank the captain and crew of RV Oceania, RV Jan Mayen, RV Lance. We thank the Institute of Oceanology for length measurement data and the Norwegian College of Fishery Science for laboratory assistance. The work was partly supported by the Amundsensenter, University of Tromsø, Norwegian Polar Institute, and the Norwegian Research Council.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dale, K., Falk-Petersen, S., Hop, H. et al. Population dynamics and body composition of the Arctic hyperiid amphipod Themisto libellula in Svalbard fjords. Polar Biol 29, 1063–1070 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-006-0150-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-006-0150-5