Distribution of planktonic copepods in the Kuroshio area of the East Chine Sea to the southwest of Kyushu in Japan

The materials were obtained from the survey conducted in the Kuroshio area of the East China Sea to the Southwest of Kyushu in Japan (29°30'-32°00', 128°00'-130°00'E) on board the R.V.Yoko Maru of Seikai Regional Fisheries Lab, Fisheries Agency, Japan in June 15~28, 1988 during China-Japan Joint Research on the Kuroshio.Zooplankton was collected by means of the North Pacific Net with model TSK flowmeter through vertical haul from 50-0m.Temperature and salinity were measured with CTD.134 species (including 4 spp.) of planktonic copepods were preliminarily identified in the survey area.Most of them belonged to the tropical and subtropical species and a few of them were the warm-temperate species and eurytopic species.The main dominant species vteie Oncaea venusta, Oithona plumifera, Clausocalanus furcatus, C.Arcuicornis, Paracaianus dculeatus, Oithona similis, Temara turbinata, Oncaea media, Undinula danvinii, Acartia negligent, Corycaeus speciosus, Scolecithrix danae, etc.The total number of individuals of planktonic copepods were about 367.6 ind./m³ on an average.The horizontal distribution of planktonic copepods was less in number but more in species in the main current area of the Kuroshio.The variations of growth and decline of the warm Kuroshio and the coastal current along China coast influenced the community structure and the distribution of planktonic copepods.Water temperature was one of principal controlling factors affecting the species composition and the quantitative distribution of planktonic copepods.