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Submersible observations on the daytime vertical distribution of Aequorea ?forskalea off the west coast of southern Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2005

Conrad Sparks ,
Andrew S. Brierley ,
Emmanuelle Buecher ,
Dave Boyer ,
Bjøern Axelsen  and
Mark J. Gibbons
Conrad Sparks
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Sciences, Cape Technikon, PO Box 652, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa Department of Zoology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa
Andrew S. Brierley
Affiliation:
Gatty Marine Laboratory, University of St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK
Emmanuelle Buecher
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa
Dave Boyer
Affiliation:
National Marine Information and Research Centre, PO BOX 912, Swakopmund, Namibia Present address: Fisheries & Environmental Research Support, Orchard Farm, Cockhill, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7NY, UK
Bjøern Axelsen
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Research, PO Box 1870 Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway
Mark J. Gibbons
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa
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Abstract

The vertical distribution of the hydromedusa Aequorea ?forskalea was investigated using observations from the research submersible ‘Jago’ collected during 36 dives off the west coast of southern Africa during November 1997 and April 1999. The mean population depth of Aequorea ?forskalea deepened with increasing sea surface temperature. We suggest that this behaviour enables individuals to avoid offshore advection, to minimize spatial overlap with other large medusae and to maintain their position over the middle of the shelf.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 85 , Issue 3 , June 2005 , pp. 519 - 522
Copyright
© 2005 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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