Abundance, biomass and production of mobile epibenthic fauna inZostera marina(L.) meadows, western Sweden

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Abstract
Mobile epifauna was sampled quantitatively with a drop-trap in three Zostera marina (L.) meadows on the west coast of Sweden, 1980–82. Of 20 species recorded, 10 were crustaceans (mostly shrimps) and 10 fishes (gobies, pipe-fishes and sticklebacks). Crustaceans dominated in abundance and biomass throughout the season and in all areas. Total abundance and biomass varied between 20 and 160 ind. · m−2 and 1 and 12 g (ash-free dry weight, AFDW) · m−2. The shrimp Palaemon adspersus (Rathke) and the shore crab Carcinus maenas (L.) contributed 65 to 90% of the mean seasonal biomass in the three areas, and the dynamics of these two species are described in this paper. Production of the 6–8 dominant species during eight months (May–December) of investigation varied between 2.5 and 6.0 g AFDW · m−2. No relation was found between the biomass of fauna and standing stock of Zostera, but patches of Fucus vesiculosus in the Zostera were shown to play an important role for some species.