Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Atlantic snake pipefish (Entelurus aequoreus) extends its northward distribution range to Svalbard (Arctic Ocean)

  • Short Note
  • Published:
Polar Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ecological forecasts predict the immigration of boreal species into Arctic waters as one consequence of rising sea temperatures. Here, we report the finding of Atlantic snake pipefish (Entelurus aequoreus) off the western coast of Spitsbergen at 79°N in August 2006. This syngnathid fish species, which was presumed to be confined to waters south of Iceland, has dramatically increased in population size in its core distribution area in the northeastern Atlantic since 2002, probably in response to greater reproduction success due to higher water temperatures. We conclude that our finding is an indication of the predicted northward extension of the distribution range of boreal species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Berge J, Johnsen G, Nilsen F, Gulliksen B, Slagstad D (2005) Ocean temperature oscillations enable reappearance of blue mussels Mytilus edulis in Svalbard after a 1000 year absence. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 303:167–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Brander KM, Blom G, Borges MF, Erzini K, Henderson G, MacKenzie BR, Men-des H, Santos AMP, Toresen P (2003) Changes in fish distribution in the eastern North Atlantic: are we seeing a coherent response to changing temperature? ICES Mar Sci Symp 219:260–273

    Google Scholar 

  • Breder CM, Rosen DE (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson CE (1986) Syngnathidae. In: Whitehead PJP, Bauchot M-L, Hureau J-C, Nielsen J, Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, vol 2. UNESCO, Paris, pp 628–639

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickson RR (1999) All change in the Arctic. Nature 397:389–391

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duncker G (1915) Revision der Syngnathidae. Erster Teil. Mitteilungen des Naturhistorischen Museums Hamburg 32:9–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Froese R, Pauly D (2007) World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.fishbase.org, version 01/2007

  • Grebmeier JM, Overland JE, Moore SE, Farley EV, Carmack EC, Cooper LW, Frey KE, Helle JH, McLaughlin FA, McNutt SL (2006) A major ecosystem shift in the northern Bering Sea. Science 311:1461–1464

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hakala T, Viitasalo M, Rita H, Aro E, Flinkman J, Vuorinen I (2003) Temporal and spatial variation in the growth rates of Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras L.) larvae during summer. Mar Biol 142:25–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris MP (2006) Seabirds and pipefish: a request for records. British Birds 99, 148p

  • Hurrell JW, VanLoon H (1997) Decadal variations in climate associated with the north Atlantic oscillation. Clim Change 36:301–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) (2007) Climate change 2007. 4th Assessment Report. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

  • Kirby RR, Johns DG, Lindley JA (2006) Fathers in hot water: rising sea temperatures and a northeastern Atlantic pipefish baby boom. Biol Lett 2:579–600

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kloppmann MHF, Ulleweit J (2006) Off-shelf distribution of pelagic snake pipefish, Entelurus aequoreus (Linnaeus, 1758), west of the British Isles. Mar Biol 151:271–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuiter RH (2001) Seepferdchen, Seenadeln, Fetzenfische und ihre Verwandten—Syngnathiformes. Verlag Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Palerud R, Gulliksen B, Brattegard T, Sneli J-A, Vader W (2004) The marine macro-organisms in Svalbard waters. In: Presterud P, Strøm H, Goldman HV (eds) A catalogue of the terrestrial and marine animals of Svalbard. Norsk Polarinstitutt Skrifter, vol 201, pp 5–56

  • Piepenburg D (2005) Recent research on Arctic benthos: common notions need to be revised. Polar Biol 28:733–755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piepenburg D, Fleischer D (2006) Benthological studies during the cruise MSM02/3 of RV Maria S. Merian. Mitteilungen zur Kieler Polarforschung 22:2–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler A (1978) Key to the fishes of northern Europe. Warne, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams N (2006) Piping hot. Curr Biol 16:R779–R780

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Polar Ecology, The University of Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany

    Dirk Fleischer & D. Piepenburg

  2. Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of Kiel (IFM-GEOMAR), Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany

    M. Schaber

  3. Mainz Academy of Sciences, The Humanities and Literature, c/o Institute for Polar Ecology of The University of Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany

    D. Piepenburg

Authors
  1. Dirk Fleischer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Schaber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. Piepenburg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dirk Fleischer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fleischer, D., Schaber, M. & Piepenburg, D. Atlantic snake pipefish (Entelurus aequoreus) extends its northward distribution range to Svalbard (Arctic Ocean). Polar Biol 30, 1359–1362 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0322-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0322-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation