Three-year investigations into sperm whale-fall ecosystems in Japan
Three-year investigations into sperm whale-fall ecosystems in Japan
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1439-0485.2007.00150.x
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发表时间：
2007-03-01
影响因子：
1.1
通讯作者：
Okutani, Takashi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Fujiwara, Yoshihiro;Kawato, Masaru;Okutani, Takashi
我们报告的抹香鲸瀑布生态系统的第一项研究，基于大量沉没的鲸鱼尸体在西北太平洋的货架深度。我们进行了三次观察，在2年的时间内复制抹香鲸尸体植入深度为219-254米的日本南部从2003年7月至2005年8月。2002年1月，抹香鲸大规模搁浅，随后12头抹香鲸的尸体沉入野见崎角附近的沃茨，这使得这项研究成为可能。18个月后（2003年7月），在鲸鱼尸体周围形成了密集的独特的化学合成动物群。贻贝Adipicola pacifica是最丰富的大型底栖动物物种，覆盖了大部分暴露的骨表面。动物群的总体组成与深水还原生境的组成相似，但在热液喷口、冷泉或深水鲸鱼福尔斯都没有发现本研究中出现的物种。在这个抹香鲸坠落地点发现了一个新的文昌鱼种，这是第一个记录的亚门Cephelicchordata从还原环境，一个新的物种Osedax;一个罕见的底栖栉水母，和一个罕见的腹足类物种。尽管鲸鱼的体型差异很大，但所有被研究的鲸鱼尸体的底栖生物群落都很相似。表层动物群落的演替相对较快，嗜硫阶段比其他已知的鲸鱼福尔斯短得多。
We report the first study of sperm whale-fall ecosystems, based on mass sinking of whale carcasses at shelf depths in the northwest Pacific. We conducted three observations over a 2-year period on replicate sperm-whale carcasses implanted at depths of 219-254 m off the southern part of Japan from July 2003 to August 2005. The study was made possible by a mass stranding of sperm whales in January 2002, and the subsequent sinking of 12 carcasses in the waters off Cape Nomamisaki. Dense aggregations of unique chemosynthesis-based fauna had formed around the whale carcasses after 18 months (July 2003). The mytilid mussel Adipicola pacifica was the most abundant macrofaunal species and covered most of the exposed bone surfaces. The general composition of the fauna was similar to that of deep-water reducing habitats, but none of the species appearing in this study has been found at hydrothermal vents, cold seeps or deep-water whale falls. A new species of lancelet, which was the first record of the subphylum Cephalochordata from reducing environments, a new species of Osedax; a rarely encountered benthic ctenophore, and a rare gastropod species were discovered at this sperm whale-fall site. Benthic communities were similar across all the carcasses studied, although the body sizes of the whales were very different. The succession of epifaunal communities was relatively rapid and the sulphophilic stage was considerably shorter than that of other known whale falls.