Abstract
Seasonal succession of three species of Acartia in a Maine estuary was examined. The well-defined successional pattern, in which A. tonsa is replaced, by A. clausi in winter and early spring, is well-documented in the middle Atlantic estuaries, but was not observed in this northern New England estuary. Instead, both species increased in their abundance at the same time on most occasions. In general, A. clausi was present throughout the year and produced three generations from March to November. A. longiremis had two or three generations between May and November, and disappeared during late summer. A. tonsa was present from May through December and was most abundant in early fall. A. clausi and A. tonsa were generally most numerous upstream, and A. longiremis downstream. Adult and copepodite V sex ratios varied among species, stations, and seasons. Seasonal patterns of Acartia populations in estuaries of the north Atlantic coast and their possible relationships to environmental factors were also compared and discussed.
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Contribution No. 133 from Ira C. Darling Center for Research, Teaching, and Service, University of Maine at Orono, Walpole, Maine 04573. This work was supported in part by a research grant from Maine, Yankee Atomic Power Company.
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Yuh Lee, W., McAlice, B.J. Seasonal succession and breeding cycles of three species of Acartia (Copepoda: Calanoida) in a maine estuary. Estuaries 2, 228–235 (1979). https://doi.org/10.2307/1351569
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1351569