Mesopelagic fishes of the Newfoundland basin: the discreteness of pelagic faunas

McKelvie, Douglas Scott (1984) Mesopelagic fishes of the Newfoundland basin: the discreteness of pelagic faunas. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Samples collected with a large midwater trawl were used to describe the mesopelagic fish fauna of the Newfoundland Basin. This fauna was found to be depauperate relative to fish faunas to the south. Cluster analysis, ordination and recurrent groups analysis of samples from the Newfoundland Basin, slope “Water and Gulf Stream revealed a gradation between faunas rather than discrete groups. The higher diversity of the Slope Water fauna suggested it was an ecotone between a subarctic and subtropical fauna. The results question the presence of communities in pelagic environments. -- Comparisons of species composition among samples supported the hypothesis that the North Atlantic Current is an extension of the Gulf Stream with a substantial influence of the Slope Water. Differences in the size composition of faunas were found between the Newfoundland Basin and the Slope Water.

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