Abstract
This study aims to investigate the seasonal variations in copepod community structure and prosome length of dominant species from March 2009 to January 2010 around artificial reefs in Xiaoshi Island, Yellow Sea, Weihai, China. Samples were collected using two types of plankton net (Model I and Model II) for different-sized copepods. The number of taxon was calculated from the data of both the net types, while the copepod abundance was done using the samples from Model II only. Sixteen species of planktonic copepods, including 5 dominant species, were recorded. Results reveal that Oithona similis was the first dominant species from March to June, and was replaced by Paracalanus parvus in September; both dominated the copepod community in January. Acartia hongi was the second dominant species from March to September. Centropages abdominalis was the third dominant species from March to June, and was replaced by O. similis in September and Corycaeus affinis in January. C. affinis was the fourth dominant species in September. Population density of the dominant copepods was compared with that of other similar regions. We found that the dominant species were mostly small copepods (<1 mm) except for adult Centrapages abdominalis. Seasonal variation in prosome length of O. similis, C. abdominalis, and C. affinis, and their copepodites were studied for the first time in China. For P. parvus and A. hongi, seasonal trends in prosome length variation were similar with those in Jiaozhou Bay, Yellow Sea, Qingdao, China, in a similar temperate domain. The results are helpful for future calculation of copepod biomass and production, and for investigation of the relationship between copepods and fish resources.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bi H S, Sun S, Gao S W, Zhang F. 2000. The ecological characteristics of the zooplankton community in the Bohai Sea I. The species composition and community structure. Acta Ecol. Sinica, 20: 715–721. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Bi H S, Sun S, Gao S W, Zhang G T. 2001. The ecological characteristics of zooplankton community in the Bohai Sea II. The distribution of copepoda abundance and seasonal dynamics. Acta Ecol. Sinica, 21: 177–185. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Calbet A, Garrido S, Saiz E. 2001. Annual zooplankton succession in coastal NW Mediterranean waters: the importance of the smaller size fractions. J. Plankton Res., 23: 319–331.
Chen Y Q, Xu Z L, Yang Y L. 2003a. Study on ecology of meso-small pelagic copepods in the Southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea II. The species composition and community characteristics. J. Fish. Chn., 27(S): 9–15. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Chen Y Q, Xu Z L, Zhao W W. 2003b. Study on ecology of meso-small pelagic copepods in the Southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea III. Dominant species. J. Fish. Chn., 27(S): 16–22. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Hirst A G, Lampitt R S. 1998. Towards a global model of in situ weight-specific growth in marine planktonic copepods. Mar. Biol., 132: 247–257.
Islam M S, Hibino M, Nakayama K, Tanaka M. 2006a. Condition of larval and early juvenile Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus related to spatial distribution and feeding in the Chikugo estuarine nursery ground in the Ariake Bay, Japan. J. Sea Res., 55: 141–155.
Islam M S, Hibino M, Tanak M. 2006b. Distribution and dietary relationships of the Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus juveniles with two contrasting copepod assemblages in estuarine nursery grounds in the Ariake Sea, Japan. J. Fish Bio l., 68: 569–593.
Jiang X D, Wang G Z, Li S J. 2004. Age, distribution and abundance of viable resting eggs of Acartia pacifica (Copepoda: Calanoida) in Xiamen Bay, China. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., 312(1): 89–100.
Jiao J J, Pan Y X, Sun L Y, Yang B Q, Qiu S Y. 2011. Effect of artificial reefs on fish multiplication. Fisheries Sci., 30: 79–82. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Kasahara S, Uye S, Onbé T. 1975. Calanoid copepod eggs in sea-bottom muds. II. Seasonal cycles of abundance in the populations of several species of copepods and their eggs in the Inland Sea of Japan. Mar. Bio l., 31(1): 25–29.
Lee C S, O’Bryen P J, Marcus N H. 2005. Copepod in aquaculture. Blackwell publishing, p.25.
Liang D, Uye S. 1996a. Population dynamics and production of the planktonic copepods in a eutrophic inlet of the Inland Sea of Japan.II. Acartia omorii. Mar. Biol., 125: 109–117.
Liang D, Uye S. 1996b. Population dynamics and production of the planktonic copepods in a eutrophic inlet of the Inland Sea of Japan III. Paracalanus sp. Mar. Biol., 127: 219–227.
Meng T X. 2001. Studies on the feeding of anchovy (Engraulis japonnicus) post larva in the spawning ground in the southern waters of Shandong peninsula. Mar. Fish. Res., 22: 21–25. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Riccardi N, Mariotto L. 2000. Seasonal variations in copepod body length: a comparison between different species in the Lagoon of Venice. Aquat. Ecol., 34: 243–252.
Shim M B, Choi J K. 1996. A study on the seasonal succession of copepod community in Kyeonggi Bay, Yellow Sea through the short interval surveys. The Yellow Sea, 2: 65–73.
Støttrup J G. 2006. Review on the status and progress in rearing copepods for marine laviculture. Advantages and disadvantages. Among calanoid, harpacticoid and cyclopoid copepods. International symposium, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. ISBN 970-694-333-5.
Sun S, Zhou K, Yang B, Zhang Y S, Ji P. 2008. Ecology of zooplankton in the Jiaozhou Bay I. Species composition. Oceano. Limno. Sinica, 39: 1–7. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Sun X H, Sun S, Li C L, Zhang G T. 2011. Seasonal and spatial variability in egg production, abundance and production of small copepods in and near Jiaozhou Bay, China. J. Plankton Res., 33: 741–750.
Sun X H, Sun S, Li C L, Wang M X. 2012. Seasonal change in body length of important small copepods and relationship with environmental factors in Jiaozhou Bay, China. Chin. J. Ocean. Limn., 30: 404–409.
Turner J T. 2004. The importance of small planktonic copepods and their roles in pelagic marine food webs. Zool. Stud., 43: 255–266.
Wang R, Zhang H Y, Wang K, Zuo T. 2002. Function performed by small copepods in marine ecosystem. Oceanol. Limnol. Sin., 33: 453–460. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Xu Z L, Wang R, Chen Y Q. 2003. Study on ecology of mesosmall pelagic copepods in the Southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea I. Quantitative distribution. J. Fish. Chn., 27(S): 1–8. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Xu Z L, Chen Y Q. 1989. Aggregated intensity of dominant species of zooplankton in autumn in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea. J. Ecol., 8: 13–15. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Zhao Z M, Zhou X Y. 1984. Introduction to Ecology. Scientific and Technical Documents Publishing House, Chongqing, China. p. 108–119. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Zhou K. 2006. Species composition and spatio-temporal distribution of dominant species of zooplankton in Jiaozhou Bay. M. S. Thesis, Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Sciences. p.30–44. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Zhu L Y, Xu P P, Zhang T W, Chen Z X, Kou J S. 2009. The spatial and temporal ditribution of Oithona similis in Jiaozhou Bay. Periodical Ocean Univ. Chn., 39(S): 83–88. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Zuo T, Wang K, Wang R, Gao S W. 2003. Multivariate analysis of zooplankton communities during spring in the southern part of Yellow Sea. J. Fish. Chn., 27(S): 108–114. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41106133), the Shandong University Independent Innovation Foundation (No. 2011ZRYQ005), and the Program of Academy of Marine Research in Weihai (No. 000041342080)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sun, X., Liang, Z., Zou, J. et al. Seasonal variation in community structure and body length of dominant copepods around artificial reefs in Xiaoshi Island, China. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 31, 282–289 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-013-2088-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-013-2088-0