Abundance and seasonality of phoronid larvae in coastal temperate waters: More abundant than previously thought?

ABSTRACT: In zooplankton surveys, many smaller taxa or species considered less important are often overlooked. One such example is the actinotrocha larvae of phoronid worms that are rarely quantified in zooplankton samples yet may play important roles in marine food webs. To gain a better understanding of phoronid ecology in coastal waters, we retrospectively analysed 145 plankton samples collected from two coastal sites in Ireland (Lough Hyne and Bantry Bay). Samples were collected using plankton nets from depths of 20 and 40 m. Phoronids were present in 37.7% and 38.2% of samples, with mean abundances of 0.3 ± 0.5 ind. m^-3 and 1.2 ± 2.8 ind. m^-3, respectively, and were identified as Phoronis muelleri and Phoronis hippocrepia. Phoronids were present consistently

SUBMITTER: McGuinness M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9618493 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature