Snort Communication Species composition and relative abundance of copepods in Chilean fjords

Abstract. We studied the species composition of copepods in the fjord region, Isla Madre de Dios, Chile during October 1979. Fifteen new records for the fjords are cited. We found the antarctic copepod Paraeudtaeta antarctica which is consistent with early records of other antarctic zooplankters in the area. The analysis of relative abundances shows that changes in dominance occur only among four most abundant species of copepods. The Chilean coast between 41 °S and 55°S is perhaps the least studied fjord region along the margins of the Pacific Ocean. Of the zooplanktonic species, only euphausiid