Leonardo K. Miyashita

Comparison of zooplankton community structure between impacted and non-impacted areas of Paranaguá Bay Estuarine Complex, south Brazil

We analysed the seasonal distribution of the zooplankton community in an anthropogenically impacted area (Paranaguá Bay) and a non-impacted area (Laranjeiras Bay) of the Paranaguá Bay Estuarine Complex. Large phytoplankton (> 50 μm) and zooplankton were collected every two months, between August 2003 and June 2004. The phytoplankton community was numerically dominated by diatoms (78%) and dinoflagellates (19%). Zooplankton abundance varied between 670 and 100,716 individuals m–3, with a dominance of copepods, mainly the calanoids Acartia lilljeborgii, Acartia tonsa and Pseudodiaptomus acutus. A clear seasonal pattern was observed: copepods were significantly more abundant during the rainy than in the dry season. Significant differences in abundance between the two bays were detected only for cirripede larvae, which were more abundant in Paranaguá Bay. This lack of difference between the two areas was probably a consequence of the water circulation along the estuary, which may have diluted and dispersed the pollutants from Paranaguá Bay to other areas of the estuary.

Revision of mysids (Crustacea: Peracarida: Mysida) zoogeographical distribution in the south-west Atlantic (0° to 40°S)

We revised the zoogeographical distribution of mysids in the south-west Atlantic, from northern Brazil to Argentina (08 to 408S), providing body length, and temperature and salinity range of occurrence for each species. All information concerning mysids from the south-west Atlantic was obtained from published/unpublished studies. Of currently 1128 mysids species described worldwide, only 31 were recorded in the south-west Atlantic which are distributed in 14 genera, 6 subfamilies and one family. This extremely low number of recorded species highlights the need for further studies focusing on mysids in the south-west Atlantic.