Diplophos rebainsi Krefft & Parin, 1972, an addition to the mesopelagic fish fauna of New Zealand (note)

Plankton samples taken in the south‐western Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea have provided, for the first time in these waters, a series of individuals of the gonostomatid Diplophos rebainsi. Observations are presented on some of the prejuvenile and adult features and on the seasonal distribution of prejuveniles off New Zealand.     

Parasites in tarakihi (pisces: Cheilodactylidae) from three areas around New Zealand

The parasite faunas of tarakihi Cheilodactylus macropterus (Bloch & Schneider) from East Cape, Tasman Bay, and the Chatham Islands were compared. A total of seven parasite species were found of which four were recorded in tarakihi for the first time: Nybelinea sp., Hepatoxylon trichiuri (Holten), Echinorhynchus sp. and Clavellodes sp. The last two of these were new records for New Zealand. The other parasites were: Contracaecum sp., Anisakis sp. and Aethon garricki Hewitt. The nematode Anisakis sp. and the copepods Aethon garricki Hewitt and Clavellodes sp. were the commonest parasites.

Incidence and intensity of Anisakis sp. were high off the Chatham Islands, moderate off East Cape, and low in Tasman Bay. These differences in infestation were truly regional and were only partially caused by differences in age composition of the fish samples. Intensity of infestation with Anisakis sp. was related to age of fish off the Chatham Islands, but not in the other two areas, and this probably reflects regional differences in the diet of the tarakihi.

Incidence of Clavellodes sp. was low in Tasman Bay. This parasite was absent from the other two areas, which either may indicate a true regional difference in the distribution of the parasite or may be caused by differences in the age composition of the samples.

Incidence of Aethon garricki was moderate in Tasman Bay and off East Cape, but this parasite did not occur in the Chatham Islands tarakihi. Thus, tarakihi populations from three widely separated areas differed from each other in the incidence and intensity of at least one of the three commonest parasites.     

Larval stages,developmental ecology,and distribution of Scyllarus sp. Z (probably Scyllarus aoteanus Powell, 1949) (Decapoda: Scyllaridae)

Phyllosomata and nistos of Scyllarus sp. Z taken from plankton around and offshore northern New Zealand and in the Tasman Sea are presumed to be those of S. aoteanus Powell, 1949, the most common Scyllarus species in this area. The full larval and postlarval development of this species are described. Three features are characteristic of Scyllarus sp. Z phyllosomata; a dorsal crest on the cephalic shield, dorsal thoracic spines, and a forked telson in middle stages persisting as two prominent spines outreaching the telson posterior margin in the final stage. Scyllarus sp. Z's closest affinities are with a group of Scyllarus species whose phyllosomata have forked telsons in middle stages and medium to strong posterolateral telson spines in the final stage. The nisto is low in profile but distinctive in its armature. Too few Scyllarus sp. nistos have been described to suggest any group to which that of Scyllarus sp. Z can be assigned. The spatial and temporal distribution of the larvae and postlarvae of Scyllarus sp. Z are also described. Although early larval stages and postlarvae are found close to New Zealand, mid‐ and late‐stage larvae are widely distributed, some well beyond the known latitudinal range of the adults. There is probably an extended egg‐bearing and hatching period as early stage larvae are caught in most months. Variable rates of development of the larvae and/or delayed metamorphosis, are also possible.     

Macrobenthic polychaete assemblages of the continental shelf and upper slope off the west coast of the South Island,New Zealand

Polychaete assemblages are described from replicate box‐core samples collected in summer 1983 at 18 stations on the continental shelf and upper slope (28–943 m) off the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand, south‐eastern Tasman Sea (c. 41–43°S, 169–172°E). Three main station groupings were identified by multivariate analysis: (1) inner shelf sandy stations characterised by Prionospio australiensis, Aricidea (Acesta) sp., Magelona cf. dakini, Paraprionospio aff. pinnata, Aglaophamus sp., Heteromastus filiformis, and Magelona sp.; (2) middle to outer shelf muddy stations characterised by Levinsenia cf. gracilis, Prionospio australiensis, Paraprionospio coora, Aglaophamus verrilli, and Auchenoplax mesos; and (3) upper slope sandy mud or mud stations characterised by Prionospio ehlersi. A combination of water depth and sediment clay content provided the best correlation with the biotic pattern. Spionidae was the most abundant family (49% of polychaete individuals), which may reflect the scope for opportunistic species in a shelf environment characterised by a high input of terrigenous sediment and episodic upwelling.     

An oceanographic survey of the Tasman Front

Results of a detailed expendable bathythermograph survey in the northern Tasman Sea are presented. The Tasman Front, with its origin in the edge of an East Australian Current eddy, extended throughout the survey region. The front marked a coherent, meandering, zonal jet which crosses the Tasman Sea and hence links at least part of the East Australian Current to the other western boundary currents in the subtropical gyre. The frontal meandering derives from both the variability of the East Australian Current system and the topographic effects of the major ridge systems in the north Tasman Sea. The front is less distinct over the crests of these ridges. The flow field in the survey area contained a number of anticyclonic eddies, and current records show that the oceanic eddies are long‐lived features similar to the eddies in the East Australian Current.     

环南澳大利亚太平洋-印度洋海洋间南极中层水环流

On the basis of the salinity distribution of isopycnal(σ_0=27.2 kg/m~3) surface and in salinity minimum, the Antarctic Intermediate Water(AAIW) around South Australia can be classified into five types corresponding to five regions by using in situ CTD observations. Type 1 is the Tasman AAIW, which has consistent hydrographic properties in the South Coral Sea and the North Tasman Sea. Type 2 is the Southern Ocean(SO) AAIW, parallel to and extending from the Subantarctic Front with the freshest and coldest AAIW in the study area. Type 3 is a transition between Type 1 and Type 2. The AAIW transforms from fresh to saline with the latitude declining(equatorward). Type 4, the South Australia AAIW, has relatively uniform AAIW properties due to the semienclosed South Australia Basin. Type 5, the Southeast Indian AAIW, progressively becomes more saline through mixing with the subtropical Indian intermediate water from south to north. In addition to the above hydrographic analysis of AAIW, the newest trajectories of Argo(Array for real-time Geostrophic Oceanography) floats were used to constructed the intermediate(1 000 m water depth) current field, which show the major interocean circulation of AAIW in the study area. Finally, a refined schematic of intermediate circulation shows that several currents get together to complete the connection between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. They include the South Equatorial Current and the East Australia Current in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, the Tasman Leakage and the Flinders Current in the South Australia Basin, and the extension of Flinders Current in the southeast Indian Ocean.     

塔斯曼海构造特征及其演化过程研究

塔斯曼海位于西南太平洋地区,处于印度-澳大利亚板块和西兰板块之间,大地构造背景复杂。该地区是全球油气资源勘探的重点海域之一,但是国内对该地区的研究相当匮乏。本文根据塔斯曼海海域的自由空气重力异常对塔斯曼海海域的构造单元进行了划分,前人关于塔斯曼海的研究主要集中在Resolution海岭北部,我们认为塔斯曼海的范围应包括Resolution海岭以南,麦夸里海岭以西,塔斯曼断裂带以东的区域（即南部次盆）。结果显示,塔斯曼海域及邻区包括3个一级构造单元:东澳大利亚陆缘、西兰板块和塔斯曼海盆,且塔斯曼海盆可进一步划分为西部次盆、东部次盆和南部次盆。本文基于塔斯曼海域90 Ma以来的洋壳年龄数据编制了构造演化图,将塔斯曼海的形成演化过程分为4个阶段:（1）中生代陆内裂谷期（90~83 Ma BP）;（2）塔斯曼海扩张阶段（83~61 Ma BP）;（3）塔斯曼海北部扩张停止阶段（61~52 Ma BP）;（4）塔斯曼海南部改造阶段（52 Ma BP至今）。     

Sperm whales in the western south pacific

The distribution and movements of sperm whales, Physeter catodon Linn., in the western South Pacific (latitudes 30–70° S, longitudes 150E‐150°W) are examined. An undetermined number of catches by nineteenth century American whaleships, 9,720 catches by pelagic fleets in 1961–70, and 427 sightings in 1967 are analysed and correlated with oceanographic data from Australian and New Zealand surveys.

The proportion of females decreases southwards, abruptly at about latitude 44° S in the Tasman Sea, and at about 46–47° S east of New Zealand. Virtually no females occur south of 50° S. The male population density also decreases southwards: the density between 50–70° S appears to be less than 25% of that between 30–50° S. Sperm whales also appear to be less abundant in the eastern part of the region away from the New Zealand plateau, but more data are required.

The pattern of distribution and its seasonal changes probably correlate with vertical temperature gradients of about 5°c in the upper 100 m of water, i.e., optimal conditions for squid schooling. Catch per unit effort in autumn is lower than in spring. A northward population shift in autumn is inferred, based on reduction of available food species and probable temperature tolerances of calves, most of which are born in February and March, towards the end of the southern summer. Some males overwinter in areas where suitable gradients persist, e.g., around the Chatham Islands.

Possibly the summer surface temperature maxima south of the South Island are low enough to inhibit the passage of breeding schools with calves from one side of the New Zealand archipelago to the other. Sperm whales do not pass through Cook Strait normally. Thus, unless considerable mixing of stocks occurs north of New Zealand in winter, there may be two “unit stocks”, one oscillating seasonally between the central Tasman Sea and the Fiji‐Tonga region, and another (probably smaller) between the east coast of the South Island and the region just north of the Chatham Islands.     

Iron, manganese and aluminum in upper waters of the western South Pacific Ocean and its adjacent seas

Total dissolvable iron, manganese and aluminum distributions in upper waters were determined in the western South Pacific, Solomon Sea, Coral Sea, and Tasman Sea. In these oceanic regions, the surface aluminum distributions well reflect the atmospheric deposition pattern of mineral dust in the western South Pacific reported previously. Surface manganese distributions derive mainly from lateral transportation from the coastal sediments of western tropical islands. Compared to Mn and Al, the Fe distributions reflect the nutrient cycle in upper waters. Iron limitation over the vast South Pacific, as revealed by physiological features of phytoplankton, seems to be caused by low atmospheric dust deposition and low Fe:N ratios in deep waters. In the western South Pacific, with its unique geographic and oceanographic settings, the local sources of trace metals might considerably affect their biogeochemical cycles.     

Distribution and dispersal of the early larval stages of the Japanese spiny lobster Panulirus japonicus in the East China Sea

The annual distribution and dispersal of early‐stage phyllosoma of the Japanese spiny lobster Panulirus japonicus were examined in the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan off western Japan. Early‐stage larvae were sampled mainly in summer and relatively near the coast off western Kyusyu Island. Few larvae were found in the other three seasons in the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. This finding suggests that P. japonicus larvae are retained in coastal areas for a few months after hatching until stage V and are transported offshore until autumn, before they grow to stage VI. Examination of archival drifter data off western Kyusyu Island during the spawning season of P. japonicus supported the relatively rapid dispersal of the larvae from the East China Sea near Japan to the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Japan. Larval transport from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, which is considered to be a main distribution area of middle‐ and late‐stage larvae, would occur in the south at approximately 32–33°N in the East China Sea near western Kyusyu Island.     

Sublittoral meiofauna with particular reference to nematodes in the southern Yellow Sea, China

Densities of major meiofaunal taxa were investigated at 34 sampling stations during six cruises by R/V Beidou to the southern Yellow Sea, China from 2000 to 2004, and the community structure of free-living marine nematodes was studied during one of the cruises in 2003. Meiofauna abundance ranged from 487.4 to 1655.3 individuals per 10 cm². Nematodes and harpacticoid copepods were the two most dominant groups, contributing 73.8–92.8% and 3.5–18.7%, respectively, to the total meiofauna abundance. One-way ANOVA showed no significant annual fluctuation of meiofauna and nematode abundances from 2000 to 2004 in the southern Yellow Sea. However, two-way ANOVA based on six stations sampled in 4 years (2001–2004) showed that there were significant differences among the six stations and the 4 sampling years for meiofauna, nematode and copepod abundance. Correlation analysis demonstrated that meiofauna abundance was mainly linked to chloroplastic pigments. Other environmental factors could not be ruled out, however. A total of 232 free-living marine nematode species, belonging to 149 genera, 35 families and 4 orders, were identified. The dominant species in the sampling area were the following: Dorylaimopsis rabalaisi, Microlaimus sp.1, Prochromadorella sp., Promonohystera sp., Cobbia sp.1, Daptonema sp.1, Leptolaimus sp.1, Halalaimus sp.2, Aegialoalaimus sp., Chromadorita sp., Parodontophora marina, Parasphaerolaimus paradoxus, Quadricoma sp.1, Campylaimus sp.1, Halalaimus gracilis, Paramesacanthion sp.1, Paramonohystera sp.1, and Metalinhomoeus longiseta. CLUSTER and SIMPROF analyses revealed three main types of nematode community (or station groups) in the sampling area, including I: coastal community, II: transitory community between coastal and YSCWM (Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass), and III: YSCWM community. Each community was indicated by a number of dominant nematode species. Bio-Env correlation analysis between the nematode community and environmental variables showed that water depth, sediment water content, organic matter, chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and phaeophorbide a (Pha-a) were the most important factors to determine the community structure.     

Sedimentation,suspension, and resuspension in Tasman Bay and Beatrix Bay,New Zealand,two contrasting coastal environments which thermally stratify in summer

Abstract

The influence of density stratification on sedimentation, suspension, and resuspension in Tasman Bay and Beatrix Bay, New Zealand, two contrasting coastal environments, was studied with specific reference to the implications for modelling aquaculture sustainability. Tasman Bay, an enhanced scallop (Pecten novaezelandiae Reeve) fishery, is a very large coastal indentation gently shelving to c. 20 m deep c. 10 km from shore and open to the Tasman Sea, whereas Beatrix Bay, an area of intense Greenshell? mussel (Perna canaliculus Gmelin) aquaculture, is a small (22 km² × 30–40 m deep) enclosed embayment off the side of the nearby Pelorus Sound. Sediment trap arrays were used to determine the vertical fluxes of suspended solids and the associated chlorophyll component. Benthic chambers were used to investigate sediment nutrient regeneration. In summer, salinity gradients in both bays are minimal or non‐existent because of low inputs of fresh water and density stratification is mainly controlled by water temperature. The data from mid summer exhibited different spatial distribution patterns for detritus and phytoplankton biomass (as indicated by chlorophyll) in these two very different bays, although they had similar turbulent environments. The density discontinuity at the thermocline had a strong influence on settling of phytoplankton. There was evidence of upwards entrainment of suspended paniculate matter into the upper water column from the thermocline in Beatrix Bay. Benthic resuspension was estimated to contribute up to 90% of the suspended solids caught in sediment traps near the sea floor in both bays. The trapping rate of phytoplankton was thought to be dependent on species dominance. Possible mechanisms of resuspension included turbulence in the benthic boundary layer, and high velocities below the thermocline associated with internal seiches. The presence of a mid water column chlorophyll maximum in Beatrix Bay is discussed in terms of nutrient and light regimes at the thermocline, and species composition. In Tasman Bay, the chlorophyll maximum was thought to be caused by resuspension of benthic microphytes and their subsequent confinement in a thin layer (2–4 m thick) of high turbulence between the thermocline and the seabed.     

DIATOMS FROM THE SURFACE SEDIMENTS OFF THE SOUTHERN HUANGHAI SEA AND EAST CHINA SEA

Two new species (Nitzschia sinensis Liu, sp. nov. and Podosira granulata Liu, sp. nov.) and one new variety (Xanthiopyxis microspinosa var. ellipticus Liu, var. nov.) collected from the urface sediments off the southern Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea are described and a list of diatoms from the surface sediments in the survey area and some new records in China are attached.     

A new spceies of Nassarius (Gastropoda, Nassariidae) from the northern China seas

A new species, Nassarius (Zeuxis) humeratus n. sp. of Nassariidae was described based on the specimens collected in the Huanghai Sea (Yellow Sea) and Bohai Sea during the expedition from 1958 to 1959. The new species was distinguished from similar species Nassarius (Zeuxis) bolangoi (Ladd, 1976) and Nassarius (Varicinassa) variciferus (A. Adams, 1852) in shell characteristics. Some relative discussion was provided. The new species mainly distributes in the subtidal zone of 30-53 m depth, in muddy and sandy bottom in the Bohai Sea and northern Huanghai Sea.     

Mesoscale distribution of larval Euphausia similis in various water masses of the East Australian Current

Larval Euphausia similis were collected off temperate eastern Australia in spring 2004 and 2006 to evaluate the relationships between larval populations, mesoscale oceanographic variability, and the wider planktonic community. Larval E. similis were present in greater numbers in the East Australian Current (EAC) relative to productive coastal waters. Larval E. similis density was homogenous across the EAC—Tasman Sea frontal region, but larvae were smaller in the Tasman Sea. Larval E. similis density was not enhanced within a cold core eddy relative to the surrounding EAC. We observed a negative correlation between larval E. similis density and larval fish density, and a weak positive correlation with fluorescence. Evaluation of a significant fish density×fluorescence interaction term showed that the effect of fish density was reduced at high fluorescence values. Analysis of normalized biomass size spectrum (NBSS) provided evidence for potential competitive exclusion of copepods by krill. Data presented in this study suggest a predatory influence on surface E. similis populations by mesopelagic larval fish. The degree of predation appears to be dependent on food availability, potentially mediated by changes in the physiological condition of krill.     

Yield and catch changes in a Mediterranean small tuna trap: a warming change effect?

Since the 17th century, the Tonnarella of Camogli, a small tuna trap, has been used to catch pelagic fish along the western coast of the Portofino Promontory (Ligurian Sea, Northwestern Mediterranean). The availability of long‐term datasets on fish yields (1950–1974 and 1996–2011), with information related to the seawater temperatures and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), has allowed us to study the qualitative and quantitative changes in fish yields in the last decade and the possible relationships with the seasonal anomalies of temperature that have occurred in the Ligurian Sea. In 1950–1974, yields remained relatively constant over time (average of 35.6 ± 8.7 t·year^?1). From 1996 through 2011, yields were high (42.9 ± 15.9 t·year^?1) but inconsistent with strong annual variability in catches. The primary catches are Seriola dumerili, Auxis rochei, Trachurus spp. and Sarda sarda. Changes in species composition have occurred as well: S. dumerili, Sardinella sp. and Belone belone have appeared recently. Moreover, a significant decrease in the boreal scombroid (Scomber scombrus) and an increase of warm‐temperate carangids and other typically Southern Mediterranean species such as Coryphaena hippurus and Sphyraena viridensis, appear to be linked to the warming of the surface water layer, particularly evident in the Ligurian Sea, for the last 10 years. The analysis of this kind of trend may be a powerful tool for assessing structural changes of the pelagic fish community in the Ligurian Sea (Northwestern Mediterranean).     

First record of a Vestimentifera (Polychaeta: Siboglinidae) from chemosynthetic habitats in the western Mediterranean Sea—Biogeographical implications and future exploration

A new population of vestimentiferan tubeworms was discovered during a recent expedition to a mud volcano field in the Alboran Sea, western Mediterranean Sea. Morphological data and mitochondrial cytochrome-c-oxidase subunit 1 (COI) sequences show that the Alboran tubeworm is essentially identical to Lamellibrachia sp. found in the eastern Mediterranean. This is the first record of a vestimentiferan species in the western basin of the Mediterranean, an area with direct connection to the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar and therefore of great importance to the study of distributional patterns and evolution of Mediterranean species. We examine the current hypotheses on the biogeographic distribution of vestimentiferan species in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea and conclude that independently of when Lamellibrachia colonized the Mediterranean, neither the present hydrological settings of both Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, nor vestimentiferans reproductive biology are impeditive to the presence of the Mediterranean species of Lamellibrachia in the NE Atlantic. The West African and Lusitanian margins are the most likely places to find living populations of this species in the NE Atlantic.     

Observed and simulated Lagrangian and eddy characteristics of the East Australian Current and the Tasman Sea

New insights into the Lagrangian and eddy dynamical processes within the East Australian Current (EAC) and the Tasman Sea are presented. We briefly discuss the past campaigns undertaken to observe the EAC and the Tasman Sea eddies as well as the motivation to renew the deployment of drifting buoys into the EAC and the Tasman Sea. The specific features discussed are motivated by the recent observing campaigns using drifting buoys and the availability of high spatial- and temporal-resolution estimates of the ocean state and circulation from eddy resolving models. The interpretation of these features is also aided by other components of the ocean observing system. The dynamics presented includes: (a) transient EAC separation through a vortex dipole, (b) stratified vortex mergers and secondary circulation of EAC eddies, (c) eddy networks in the Tasman Sea and (d) formation and propagation of the EAC separation point. The importance of these dynamical features to the EAC and the Tasman Sea and their implications for the observing system and modelling are discussed.     

Diel Changes in Vertical Distribution and Feeding Conditions of the Chaetognath Parasagitta elegans (Verill) in the Subarctic Pacific in Summer

Diel changes in vertical distribution and feeding conditions of the chaetognath Parasagitta elegans (Verill) were observed in three regions of the subarctic North Pacific in the summer of 1997. Samples were collected by repeated vertical hauls with a Vertical Multiple Plankton Sampler (VMPS) for 15–45 hours by demarcating the 0–500 m water column into four sampling layers. Integrated abundance through the entire water column and the proportion of juveniles were higher in the Bering Sea than the western and eastern subarctic Pacific. Juveniles always inhabited the surface layer in the western subarctic Pacific and Bering Sea, but they inhabited the underlying layer in the eastern subarctic Pacific. Stages I–III concentrated into the upper 150 m in the western subarctic Pacific but were distributed widely from 20–300 m in the Bering Sea. Among them, Stages II and III migrated rather synchronously over a wide vertical range in the eastern subarctic Pacific. The feeding rate of P. elegans was calculated to be 0.18 prey/chaetognath/day in the western subarctic Pacific, 0.27 prey/chaetognath/day in the Bering Sea and 0.07 prey/chaetognath/day in the eastern subarctic Pacific.