Title: The KRITHE problem — first test of peypouquet's hypothesis, with a redescription of KRITHE PRAETEXTA PRAETEXTA (crustacea, ostracoda)
Abstract: The ostracode genus Krithe is generally regarded as an index for deeper water but its known depth range is 15–4500 m. Further uncertainty is caused by anterior vestibule variations in otherwise identical specimens. Peypouquet (1977) suggested that interior vestibule-size in Krithe is inversely correlated with the dissolved oxygen content of the ambient seawater. This hypothesis, if true, would enable more precise interpretations of paleodepth by means of fossil Krithe assemblages. We made a partial test of the hypothesis by examining living Krithe praetexta praetexta, collected during May 1988 at 45 m depth in the Gullmar Fjord, on the west coast of Sweden. Our paper includes a description of this taxon and notes some associated ecological factors in Gullmar Fjord. We used a quantitative method to describe their vestibules, based on linear measures obtained by rapid image digitization. A canonical variate analysis of the measures clearly indicates four different groups, one for each valve (right and left) and one for each sex. All our specimens belonged to Peypouquet's B12 morphotype. The actual dissolved oxygen values in Gullmar Fjord during May were very close to those predicted by Peypouquet for the B12 morphotype but values during June were rather less than his prediction. Possibly, the imperfect agreement can be related to variations in food supply and other sources of ostracode shell calcium. Thus, although the test has proved confirmatory as far as it goes, we believe that further study at different depths and latitudes is required. The elements of the ostracode fauna are illustrated.
Publication Year: 1989
Publication Date: 1989-11-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 34
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot