DISTRIBUTION OF ANTARCTIC MACROPLANKTON 



97 



RELATIVE ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION 

 OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES 



In different parts of the Atlantic sector of the Antarctic the plankton varies considerably 

 in both abundance and constitution, and to find the actual relative quantities in which 

 the different species exist would be a very difficult matter, even if it was particularly 

 desirable to do so. However, it is necessary to give some indication as to which species 

 are abundant and which species are uncommon, and the following table shows the 

 average per haul (all hauls with the N ioo B in the Antarctic) and the largest single 

 catch for each species. A disproportionately large number of these hauls have been 

 made in the neighbourhood of South Georgia, but this is a region in which, from time 

 to time, representatives of the plankton typical of both the warmer and colder parts of 

 the Antarctic waters are found. 



Table II. Relative abundance of species {expressed to two significant figures) 



* Species of which the majority have occurred in shoals or dense patches. 



There are large differences in the uniformity of distribution of these species, and some 

 tend to form shoals, or large or small areas of dense concentration. Euphausia superba 



