Abundance and diversity of the Amphipoda (Crustacea) from the Greenlandic shelf

The species composition of Amphipoda (Crustacea: Malacostraca: Peracarida) of the Greenland shelf south of 65°N was investigated by means of 18 epibenthic samples over a sampling period of three years (2001, 2002, 2004). The samples were taken using a Rauschert sledge in depths between 106 and 251 m. In total, 62,205 specimens were identified belonging to 154 species. The amphipods from the South Greenland shelf represent in general a homogeneously distributed community with respect to evenness (J’), diversity (H’) and Hurlbert’s rarefaction E (S500). Multivariate analyses of the species abundances divided the amphipods into a southeastern and southwestern fauna. Among the species most contributing to the separation between East and West, Hardametopa nasuta, Photis reinhardi and Phoxocephalus holboelli were identified. With respect to evenness and diversity, the amphipod community was stable over the three years. We used the WORMS database to present species in this metadata.