NATURAL-HISTORY OF CTENOPHORES IN THE RESOLUTE PASSAGE AREA OF THE CANADIAN HIGH ARCTIC WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MERTENSIA-OVUM

The natural history of ctenophores from the Resolute Passage area of the Canadian High Arctic was examined in 1985 and 1986. The seasonal abundance of 3 ctenophore species, Mertensia ovum, Beroe cucumis, and Bolinopsis infundibulum, are reported. M ovum was by far the most abundant, accounting for 88.9 % of all ctenophores collected, and because of its abundance received the most study. The M ovum population developed similarly in both years reaching a maximum abundance of 911 m-2 in early June 1986. The lipofuscin age-pigment technique suggested that M ovum can live for at least 3 yr. Gut contents showed M ovum to be an opportunistic feeder, but the copepods Pseudocalanus acuspes, Calanus glacialis and C. hyperboreus and the amphipod Parathemisto libellula formed most of the diet. M ovum was estimated to consume between 4 and 10 % d-1 of the standing crop of macrozooplankton in Resolute Passage.