Biogeography of the Planktonic Dinoflagellate Ceratium in the Western Pacific

Algae > Volume 8(2); 1993 > Article

Algae 1993;8(2): 109-119.

John D. Dodge

Biology Department, Royal Holloway, University of London

ABSTRACT

Data on the distribution of 82 species of Ceratium Schrank in the W. Pacific area, between longitude 100° E and 180° E, has been collected from the literature and from plankton samples examined by the author and obtained from Java, Papua-New Guinea, North and East Australia. The lists of species present in each area were analysed by Decorana and Twinspan multivariate techniques which gave ordinations and cluster diagrams. These showed that here, as elsewhere in the oceans, the distribution of Ceratium is strongly influenced by temperature. The major biogeographical zone for the W. Pacific, the tropical zone, is more or less defined as the area with a mean annual sea surface temperature of 25℃. The sub-tropical zone in the north-west is dominated by the Kuroshio Current and in the south by the East Australian Current. The findings of this work are discussed in relation to other studies in the area.

Key words: biogeography, Dinophyta, dinoflagellate, Ceratium, Pacific Ocean, temperature