The Distributional Correlation between Planktonic Copepods and Ichthyoplankton in the Western North Pacific Northeast of Taiwan

• Main Authors: CHENG, CHIN-CHUAN, 鄭金釧
• Other Authors: TAI-SHENG CHIU, CHANG-TAI SHIH
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1998
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/12613447268227717778

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 動物學系 === 86 === Abstract In the present study, we examined the distributional correlation betweenichthyoplankton and copepods occurring in the sea northeast of Taiwan. Samples were collected during the KEEP cruises 384, 416, and 431, respectively in April 1994 and 1995, and September-October 1995. From the 29 stations in total,we identified 121 and 139 species of ichthyoplankton and copepods respectively. The logarithm transformation of abundance of ichthyoplankton was highly correlated with that of copepods（r = 0.7） in our samples. The species ofcopepods and ichthyoplankton selected for the analysis of recurrent groups must satisfy the two conditions: a. its sum of percentage of numerical abundance of all stations is among the top 30 species; b. it occurs in 5 or more stations. The affinity of 3 ichthyoplankton and 24 copepods is significant. These species form 8 recurrent groups. We examined further the recurrent groups withclustering analysis. The close correlation between the members of the same cluster may be due to their preference for similar physical or chemicalenvironmental factors. On the other hand, their presence together is probably a biotic phenomenon, such as predator-prey relationship. Copepods can not choose their habitat actively because of their poor swimming ability. Their dispersal is entirely at the mercy of oceanic currents and other water movements. The high abundance of a copepod species in a habitat probably is a response of the population to the local favorable environmental conditions. As for the fish, the adults are usually good swimmers and can choose a better habitat, e.g., abundance of food, for their offspring. Based on the recurrence of copepod and ichthyoplankton species, we discussed the possibility to use some copepods as indicator species to predict the presence of ichthyoplankton of some fishes, a concept that may be applied to commercial fisheries.