Vertical distribution and seasonal variation of pelagic chaetognaths in Sagami Bay, central Japan

Abstract

The vertical distribution and seasonal variation of pelagic chaetognaths was investigated in Sagami Bay, based on stratified zooplankton samples from the upper 1,400 m. The chaetognaths were most abundant in the 100–150 m layer in January and May 2005, whereas they were concentrated in the upper 50 m in the other months. Among the 28 species identified, Zonosagitta nagae had the highest mean standing stock, followed by Flaccisagitta enflata and Eukrohnia hamata. Cluster analysis based on species composition and density separated chaetognath communities into four groups (Groups A–D). While the distribution of Group C was unclear due to their rare occurrence, the other groups were more closely associated with depth than with season. The epipelagic group (Group A) was further divided into four sub-groups, which were related to seasonal hydrographic variation. The mesopelagic group (Group B) was mainly composed of samples from the 150–400 m layer, although Group A, in which the epipelagic species Z. nagae dominated, was distributed in this layer from May to July. Below 400 m, all samples were included in the bathypelagic group (Group D). In this group, Eukrohnia hamata was dominant with larger standing stocks than in other tropical-temperate waters, suggesting that intrusions of subarctic water drive the large standing stock of this species. Combined, these observations suggest that the seasonal and vertical patterns of the chaetognath community in Sagami Bay are influenced by hydrographic changes in the epipelagic layer and the submerged subarctic water in the mesopelagic layer.