Species Composition and Peculiarities of the Distribution of Benthic Peracarida (Crustacea, Malacostraca) in the Barents Sea, Based on Surveys 2003–2008

According to the results of surveys performed in the years 2003–2008, the species composition of the Peracarida (Crustacea, Malacostraca) fauna of the Barents Sea was determined. In total, 323 species were identified within the study area. Sixty-four species of Peracarida were noted for the Barents Sea for the first time. The most significant refinements concerned the orders Isopoda, Cumacea, and Tanaidacea. The main features of the quantitative distribution of Peracarida were revealed; it was found that the richest accumulations were confined to mixed silty–sandy bottom sediments of the shallow waters and the slopes of troughs. In the Barents Sea, eight Peracarida faunistic complexes have been identified, which are confined to specific environmental conditions. Generally, boreal–arctic species prevail in the biogeographic structure, the share of the boreal species exceeds that of the arctic species (28 and 21%, respectively). The zone of combining the ranges of the arctic and boreal species has shifted eastwards and northwards compared to the period of 1968–1970; this is a consequence of the ongoing “warm” hydrological period in the Barents Sea.