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Length–weight relationships of 216 North Sea benthic invertebrates and fish

L.A Robinson, S.P.R Greenstreet, H Reiss, R Callaway, J Craeymeersch, I. de Boois, S Degraer, S Ehrich, H.M Fraser, A Goffin, I Kröncke, L. Lindal Jorgenson, M.R Robertson, J Lancaster, Ruth Callaway

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Volume: 90, Issue: 01, Start page: 95

Swansea University Author: Ruth Callaway

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Abstract

Size-based analyses of marine animals are increasingly used to improve understanding of community structure and function.However, the resources required to record individual body weights for benthic animals, where the number of individuals canreach several thousand in a square metre, are often prohi...

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Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
ISSN: 0025-3154 1469-7769
Published: 2010
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa13081
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Abstract: Size-based analyses of marine animals are increasingly used to improve understanding of community structure and function.However, the resources required to record individual body weights for benthic animals, where the number of individuals canreach several thousand in a square metre, are often prohibitive. Here we present morphometric (length–weight) relationshipsfor 216 benthic species from the North Sea to permit weight estimation from length measurements. These relationships werecalculated using data collected over two years from 283 stations. For ten abundant and widely dispersed species we tested forsignificant spatial and temporal differences in morphometric relationships. Some were found, but the magnitude of differenceswas small in relation to the size-ranges of animals that are usually present and we recommend that the regression relationshipsgiven here, based on pooled data, are appropriate for most types of population and community analyses. Our hope is thatthe availability of these morphometric relationships will encourage the more frequent application of size-based analyses tobenthic survey data, and so enhance understanding of the ecology of the benthic/demersal component of marine ecosystemsand food webs.
Keywords: length–weight relationships, benthos, demersal fish, size structure, size-based analyses
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Issue: 01
Start Page: 95