Spatial Variation in Mysid Species Composition in Seagrass and Seaweed Beds of Eastern Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

Member of the genus Neomysis inhabit estuaries or lagoons in temperate to subarctic areas and are important in the food webs of those areas, but there have been few studied of this genus in the Northwest Pacific. We examined geographical variations in the species composition of mysids including Neomysis in eastern Hokkaido, Japan. The species composition of mysids was classified into three groups. The first group consists of mainly Neomysis mirabilis, the second group consists of only N. awatschensis, and the third group consists of several species. These types are closely related to geographical features and salinity. This study reveals that the species compositions of mysids vary considerably between locations even though these locations at similar latitude.