Polar regions are characterized by a strong seasonality in primary production and distinct fluctuations in food supply. The storage of energy in the form of lipids is expected to follow a seasonal pattern; however, year-round observations are lacking. The seasonal variations of lipid classes and fatty acid compositions of four pelagic amphipods have been investigated. Individuals were collected...

At a shallow (7 m) near-shore sampling site in the Black Sea we analyzed composition, abundance, and biomass of benthopelagic organisms and the contribution these animals make to the total plankton. The site was monitored across several years (1996-2001; 2006-2007) whilst for 1999-2000 the seasonal variations were analysed. A total of 321 samples from Golubaja Bay near Novorossiysk (44°34'31.04...

This study investigated the uptake and effects of a common human pharmaceutical, propranolol, on the structure and function of a coastal Baltic Sea model community consisting of macroalga (Ceramium tenuicorne), mussels (Mytilus edulis trossulus), amphipods (Gammarus spp.), water and sediment. The most sensitive species, the mussel, was affected to the same extent as in previous single species s...

Mantacaprella macaronensis new genus, new species, is described based on specimens collected from Canary Islands and Cape Verde. Mantacaprella is close to the genera Parambus, Pseudolirius, Propodalirius and Paracaprella, but can be distinguished by the combination of the following characteristics: pereopods 3, 4 and 5 two-articulate; pereopods 6 and 7 six-articulate; mandibular molar present a...

The Black, Azov, Caspian and Aral Seas, remnants of the intracontinental Paratethys basin, are home to a spectacular diversity of crustaceans. This study examines the past history of the Ponto-Caspian fauna through comparative phylogeographical studies on both benthic and planktonic taxa, based on an examination of nucleotide diversity in the mitochondrial, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) ...

In the last decades, zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have invaded many freshwater systems with severe consequences for entire communities. Most benthic macroinvertebrates, especially amphipods and chironomids, increase in abundance in the presence of zebra mussels. Increased structural complexity and an unknown biotic factor lead to this effect. Dreissena-associated factors that might infl...

The hyperiid amphipod Phronima sedentaria experiences a temperature change of 15 °C during diel migration in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific (ETNP) from 8-10 °C at depth to 25-27 °C at night in the surface waters. The aim of this study was to determine if the natural temperature gradient experienced by P. sedentaria results in a thermal stress response. Individuals were initially exposed to ...

Many parasites engaged in complex life cycles manipulate their hosts in a way that facilitates transmission between hosts. Recently, a new category of parasites (hitch-hikers) has been identified that seem to exploit the manipulating effort of other parasites with similar life cycle by preferentially infecting hosts already manipulated. Thomas et al. (Evolution 51 (1997) 1316) showed that the d...

Amphipods are keystone species in many freshwater ecosystems. Understanding their distribution and diversity is crucial to ensure and preserve freshwater ecosystem functioning, particularly in the northern hemisphere. For the European Alps information on amphipods has been relatively limited until recently. We describe a new, widely distributed amphipod species, Gammarus alpinus sp. nov., found...

We examined the decay of chlorophyll a and the carotenoid fucoxanthin in oxic and anoxic sediment microcosms, with and without the deposit-feeding benthic amphipod Monoporeia affinis, over 57 days at 5 degrees C. Deep frozen phytoplankton from the Baltic Sea proper was added to all but a few microcosms. The range of chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin decay rate constants observed in microcosms with ...