Abstract
Diatoms in the food of krill caught in the summer in coastal waters close to the South Shetland Islands and in the summer and three winters in Admiralty Bay, King George Island were investigated. The diatoms were used as indicators of sources of krill food. Principal component analysis divided the diatom taxa into two groups, one being pelagic diatoms and from the food of krill in coastal waters, and the other being benthic diatoms and taxa from the food of krill in Admiralty Bay. All pelagic taxa of diatoms were consumed by krill. In the summer in coastal waters, benthic diatoms in krill food originated from the sublittoral. In the summer in Admiralty Bay, besides phytoplankton, diatoms were noted from the sublittoral and littoral in the food of krill. However, in the winter mostly sublittoral and epiphytic diatoms were present in krill food.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Accepted: 20 March 2000
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ligowski, R. Benthic feeding by krill, Euphausia superba Dana, in coastal waters off West Antarctica and in Admiralty Bay, South Shetland Islands. Polar Biol 23, 619–625 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000000131
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000000131