Study on ecology of meso-small pelagic copepods in the Southern Yellow Seas and the East China Sea IV. Paracalanus Genus

Based on the samples of medium and small size zooplanktons collected by the National Marine Bureau in May, August, November and February, 1981, standing for spring, summer, autumn, and winter respectively, the seasonal variation of meso small copepods (Paracalanus genus) and its dominant species in the southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea (28°-34°N and the west of 127°E) were studied. Paracalanus Genus was composed of P.parvus, P.crassirostris, P.aculeatus and P.gracilis, in which P. parvus predominated in species, accounting for 73.92%-86.18% of Paracalanus genus and played a main role in the variation of zooplankton abundance. It can be featured that the general abundance in horizontal distribution (ind·m -3 )of Paracalanus genus in coastal waters was higher than that in high sea and showed negatively correlating with the variations of sea surface temperature and salinity in the four seasons.