MEPS 123:57-63 (1995)  -  doi:10.3354/meps123057

Higher abundances of copepods with external damage or in various states of internal decay have been found in shallow waters over banks, ridges and seamounts than in the surrounding waters. The increase occurred in 3 of 5 sets of multiple opening-closing net tows taken at Fieberling Guyot, Northeast Bank and Sixtymile Bank, west of San Diego, California, USA. Large numbers of copepod carcasses were also found above the summit of Jasper Seamount. The carcasses are attributed to higher levels of predation over shallow topographic features due to resident organisms that ascend above the summits at night to feed. At Fieberling Guyot (summit depth of about 500 m), this migration was at least 400 m above the summit. Carcasses identical to those collected in the net tows were produced in the laboratory by euphausiids feeding on copepods.

Copepod . Carcass . Seamount . Predation