Distribution and Abundance of Candacia Dana, 1846 and Paracandacia Grice, 1963 (Copepoda, Calanoida Candaciidae) off the Kenya Coast

Abstract

The distribution and abundance of copepods belonging to the genera Candacia and Paracandacia (family Candaciidae) within the inshore, shelf and offshore waters of the Kenya coast are presented. The copepod species are widely distributed, at low abundances (9 to 240 ind.100/m3) within the inshore waters, which increases to a maximum (40 to 360 ind.100/m3) within the shelf waters and decreases again to minimum (10 to 40 ind.100/m3) in the open ocean. They are more abundant during the southeast monsoon period and less so during the northeast monsoon. Abundance decreases with increasing depth, from a maximum of 880 ind.100/m3 at the surface to a minimum of 10 ind.100/m3 in the deep layers. The Candaciidae are least abundant at the depths ranging of 400 to 800 m, where oxygen concentration is minimum. In this study, Candacia bradyi A. Scott, 1902; C. bipinnata Giesbrecht, 1889; C. curta (Dana, 1849); C. tuberculata Wolfenden, 1905 and C. ethiopica (Dana, 1849) are reported as new records for the Kenyan coast.