Temporal changes in the structure of a slope suprabenthic community from the Bay of Biscay (NE Atlantic Ocean)

The suprabenthic community of the upper slope off Arcachon (site A at about 400 m depth on a muddy sand substratum) was sampled monthly from February 1991 to January 1992 with a suprabenthic sled towed over the sea bottom. The fauna collected in the 0-50 cm water layer above the bottom was classified into 9 major groups and 109 species (56 amphipods, 12 mysids, 10 isopods, 10 decapods, 9 cumaceans, 6 euphausiids, 4 fishes, 1 lophogastrid and 1 tanaid). The total abundance of the community fluctuated between a maximum of 3199 ind./100 m2 in July and a minimum of 82 ind./100 m2 in November, with an annual mean value of 969±601 ind./100 m2. The community structure was mainly affected by the temporal abundance fluctuations of the asellote isopod Munnopsurus atlanticus. This species was numerically dominant during the first part of the year and showed a drastic decrease in August, followed by the dominance of the mysids Erythrops neapolitana or Parapseudomma calloplura in autumn and early winter. Such structural changes in the dominance of major taxa are discussed with respect to the feeding behaviour of species and food availability in the near-bottom environment. We conclude that the population dynamics of M. atlanticus in the upper bathyal was mainly governed by the seasonal development of its major prey, the benthic foraminifers, favoured by the spring phytodetritus deposition on the sea floor.