Optimal salinity for dominant copepods in the East China Sea, determined using a yield density model

From 1997 to 2000, four field surveys were conducted in the East China Sea （ECS） （23°30＇-33°00＇N, 118°30＇-128°00＇E）. A field data yield density model was used to determine the optimal salinities for 19 dominant copepod species to establish the relationship between surface salinities and abundance of those species. In addition, ecological groups of the copepods were classified based on optimal salinity and geographical distribution. The results indicate that the yield density model is suitable for determining the relationship between salinity and abundance. Cosmocalanus darwini, Euchaeta rimana, Pleuromamma gracilis, Rhincalanus cornutus, Scolecithrix danae and Pareucalanus attenuatus were determined as oceanic species, with optimal salinities of 〉34.0. They were stenohaline and mainly distributed in waters influenced by the Kuroshio or Taiwan warm current. Temora discaudata, T. stylifera and Canthocalanus pauper were nearshore species with optimal salinities of 〈33.0 and most abundant in coastal waters. The remaining 10 species, including Undinula vulgaris and Subeucalanus suberassus, were offshore species, with optimal salinity ranging from 33.0-34.0. They were widely distributed in nearshore, offshore and oceanic waters but mainly in the mixed water of the ECS.

Statistical analysis on ecological adaptation of pelagic Amphipoda in the East China Sea

This article studied the diversity of Amphipoda＇s environmental adaptation using statistic method- ology based on the seasonal investigation data obtained from the East China Sea waters （23°30′- 33°N, 118°30′128°E） from 1997 to 2000. Fifty-four Amphipoda species were identified： among which eight species could stand a temperature difference over 10 ℃ and eight species could tolerate the temperature gap ranged from 5 to 10 ℃; while only six species could stand the salinity fluctuation more than 5. Based on above facts as well as calculated optimal temperature and salinity we divided all Amphipoda species into four groups： （1） eurythermic and euryhalinous species including Lestrigonus schizogeneios, L. macrophthalmus, Tetrathyrus forcipatus, L. bengalensis and Hyperi- oides sibaginis; （2） temperate-warm species containing Hyperoche medusarum, Parathemisto gau- dichaudi, Themisto japonica and Hyperia galba; （3） oceanic tropical species consisted of Oxycephalus clausi~ Lyeaea pulex, Eupronoe minuta, Simorhychotus antennarius, O. poreelus, Platyscelus ovoides and Rhabdosoma ahitei; （4） subtropical species involving one nearshore subtropical water species （Corophium uenoi） and 37 offshore subtropical ones. Compared with other zooplankton such as Eu- phausia and Chaetognatha, Amphipoda was characterized by low dominance but wide distribution in the East China Sea, and this could be ascribed to its high adaptation diversity.