DISTRIBUTION AND BIOLOGY OF MYSIDS (CRUSTACEA, MYSIDACEA) 



FROM THE ATLANTIC COAST OF THE UNITED STATES 



IN THE NMFS WOODS HOLE COLLECTION 



Roland L. Wigley and Bruce R. Burns' 



ABSTRACT 



Nineteen species of marine mysids, representing 16 genera, liave lieen assembled at the NMFS Biolo- 

 gical Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass. These specimens were collected between 1953 and 1969 from the 

 continental shelf and slope off the east coast of the United States between Canada and southern Flor- 

 ida. The species represented are: Eiicopia grimaldii, Borcomysis tridcns, Bowmanidla portoriceiisis, 

 Anchmlina typica, Erythrojis crythrophthalma, Meterytlirops rohiista, Hypererytlirops caribbaea, 

 Pseudomma affine, Pseudnmma sp., Amblyops abbreviata, Dathymynis renoculata, Mysidopsis bigelowi, 

 M. furca, Promysis atlantica, Mysis mixta, M. stenolepis, Piaunns flexuosus, Neomysis americana, and 

 Heteromysis formosa. 



Geographic and bathymetric distributions, relations with liottom sediments, and other ecological in- 

 formation are given for all species. Biological data such as spawning season, clutch size, body length 

 at maturity, and similar information are reported for 11 species. More detailed accounts of the life 

 history and ecology of Erytlirops crytlirophtlialma , My^idniii^iis bigelowi, and Ncdiiiysis americtma are 

 made possible by the large numbers of specimens of these species. 



This repoi't is based on the collection of my- 

 sids assembled by the Food Habits Project 

 and the Benthic Invertebrates Project at the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 

 Biologfical Laboratory — formerly known as the 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (BCF) — Bio- 

 loffical Lalwratory, Woods Hole, Mass. Mysids 

 were not specifically sought in assembling this 

 collection; they were acquired from biological 

 samjiles collected for ecological studies pertain- 

 ing to various kinds of demersal fishes and 

 assemblages of benthic invertebrates. Estua- 

 rine and inshore species are few because nearly 

 all sampling was conducted in offshore areas. 



The known mysidacean fauna off the eastern 

 coast of the United States is not extensive. 

 Tattersall (1951) made a thorough review of 

 the literature and the mysid specimens in the 

 U.S. National Museum. He reiiorted only 11 

 shallowwater (less than 200 m) species occur- 



^ National Marine Fisheries Service, Biological Lab- 

 oratory, Woods Hole, Mass. 02543. 



Manuscript accepted July 1971 



FISHERY BULLETIN: \'0L. 61, NO. 4. 1071. 



ring in the area between Maine and Florida. 

 This includes estiiarine and shore forms as well 

 as middle and outer continental shelf species. 

 Although a few additional species have been 

 found in this area since the time of Tattersall's 

 study (Klawe, 19.5.5; Bowman, 1957, 1964; 

 Wigiey, 1963; Bacescu, 19(58; Haefner, 1968; 

 and others) and undoubtedly some species re- 

 main undetected, it is reasonable to conclude 

 that only a modest number of different kinds 

 of mysids occur in this region. 



A substantial portion of the sjiecies in the 

 NMFS samples from the western Atlantic also 

 occur in European waters. They are: Eucopia 

 (jrimaldii, Borenmysis tridens, Eiythrops ery- 

 fhmphthalma. Meterythrops rohnsta, Pseudom- 

 ma (if fine, Amblyops abbreviata, Mysis mixta, 

 Praumis flexuosiis, and Heteromysis formosa. 

 Those sjiecies that do not have an amphi-Atlantic 

 distribution are largely indigenous to the west- 

 ern North Atlantic, namely: Bowmaniella por- 

 toricensis, Hypererythrops caribbaea, Pseudom- 

 ma sp., Bathymysis renoculata. Mysidopsis big- 

 elowi. M. furca, Mysis .'iteuolepis. and Neomysis 



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