PELAGIC ANIMAL LIFE 645 



Sea in the west, at Spitsbergen in the north, and in deep water, 

 even close to the banks of Norway and the North Sea, excludes 

 all boreal species (see Fig. 310, p. 436). 



In the boreal area, as thus limited, we find not a single 

 species of tish, perhaps not even a single animal-form, which 

 may be said to be entirely oceanic.^ The only oceanic com- 

 munity in the Norwegian Sea would perhaps be the arctic deep- 

 sea fauna. Among the boreal species, however, we find several 

 gradations between the purely oceanic and the purely coast 

 forms of life. 



Of all invertebrates the minute crustacean Calanzcs Caianus 

 finmarchicus is undoubtedly the most important in the boreal /«"'«''^'^"'"«^ 

 community. If during spring or summer a hoop-net is towed 

 along the surface in the warm part of the Norwegian Sea off the 

 coast banks, a practically uniform catch is obtained, consisting 

 almost exclusively of this species, indicating a "monotonous" 

 pelagic life, as Haeckel calls it. G. O. Sars, in his reports on 

 the " Voringen " Expedition, drew attention to this fact and to 

 the wealth of life peculiar to the open ocean, and this monotonous 

 fauna has recently been investigated by Gran and Damas during 

 the cruises of the " Michael Sars." Calamis fiimiarchiais occurs 

 both above the coast banks and in the fjords, but in these localities 

 its preponderance is less pronounced than in the open sea. 



In the coast waters we notice many pelagic forms belong- Coast water 

 ing to various groups, along with many larval forms of bottom ^°™^" 

 animals, thus introducing a strange variety into the pelagic life. 

 Want of space prevents a full discussion of this animal com- 

 munity, and in regard to the various groups I refer the reader 

 to my preceding review. Besides Calamis finmarchicus there 

 are many other Copepoda, especially the genera Centropages, 

 Ternora, Acartia, Anoinalocera, and Enchcsta. Of Schizopoda 

 Thysanocssa, Meganyctiphanes , My sis, and of Decapoda Pasiphcsa 

 and Pandahis, occur. Vast numbers of Medusae are found at the 

 surface and in the deep water of the fjords, in the Norwegian 

 depression or gut, and in the Skagerrack. Two species of jelly- 

 fish, the brown stinging jelly-fish Cyanea capillata, and the trans- 

 parent Aurelia aurita, are frequent. Of Pteropoda we meet with 

 Clione liniacina, Limacina retroversa, and L. balea. The most 

 important squid is Ommato strep lies todarus. Of fish the follow- 

 ing species may be noted : mackerel [Scomber scomber), 

 sprat [Clupea sprattus), herring (Chpca karengzts), salmon 



^ According to Damas even Calamis finmarchicus is to some extent dependent on the 

 configuration of the bottom (in the spawning time). 



