Temporal Patterns in Distribution and Habitat Associations of Prey Fishes and Squids

摘要

The distribution and abundance of prey species provide an important link between physical oceanography and higher trophic level predators. Three types of organisms were used as indicators in these analyses, lanternfishes (family Myctophidae), flyingfishes (family Exocoetidae), and squids of the family Ommastrephidae. The latter two were further classified into three categories each, based on ecological and size characteristics. Data were collected during five years of the Monitoring of Porpoise Stocks Cruises (MOPS: 1986 - 1990) and three years of the Stenella Abundance Research Project (STAR: 1998 - 2000) during a total of 2,041 nightly stations when individuals were collected with dipnets and relative abundance estimated. Distribution patterns illustrate three general features.