Title Morphological differences in Lissarca notorcadensis Melvill and Standen, 1907 from the Scotia, Weddell and Ross Seas
Author Cope, T.; Linse, K.
Author Affil Cope, T., British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Other: Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Federal Republic of Germany
Source EASIZ; ecology of the Antarctic sea ice zone. Deep-Sea Research. Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 53(8-10), p.903-911; [EASIZ; ecology of the Antarctic sea ice zone final symposium, Korcula, Croatia, Sept. 27- Oct. 1, 2004]; edited by A. Clarke, W.E. Arntz and C.R. Smith. Publisher: Elsevier, Oxford, International. ISSN: 0967- 0645
Publication Date Apr., 2006
Notes In English. Based on Publisher- supplied data GeoRef Acc. No: 301086
Index Terms Antarctica; Southern Ocean--Ross Sea; Scotia Sea; Southern Ocean--Weddell Sea; biogeography; biometry; Bivalvia; Invertebrata; Lissarca notorcadensis; living taxa; Mollusca; morphology; populations; Ross Sea; shells; size; Southern Ocean; Weddell Sea
Abstract The isolated Southern Ocean has given rise to specially adapted, endemic species. The uniformity of physical conditions within the Southern Ocean south of the Polar Front is thought to limit latitudinal differences in shell size and growth of these species. The small bivalve Lissarca notorcadensis is one of the most successful colonisers with a wide circum-Antarctic distribution. We collected specimens from three areas of the Southern Ocean: the Scotia arc, the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea and examined their shell morphometrics. The regression lines of the shell length/height relationships were similar. However, whilst specimens from the Weddell and Ross Sea were almost identical, the Scotia arc specimens had consistently shorter shell heights at similar shell length. The average body size (shell length/height) per sample location plotted against latitude showed a decrease over the latitudinal range between 53°'S and 73°S. The differences observed between the three geographically separate areas, concurrent with this latitudinal cline, were examined further using ANOVA. Significant differences were found between populations of the Scotia arc and the Weddell Sea as well as between populations of the Scotia arc and the Ross Sea, but there were no significant differences between the populations of the Weddell and Ross Seas. The Scotia arc further divided into two significantly different groups, the Shag Rocks populations and the populations from islands of the southern arc.
URL http://hdl.handle.net/10.1016/j.dsr2.2006.02.003
Publication Type conference paper or compendium article
Record ID 88811