Atlas of Atlantic Ostracods
Taxon details
Boroecia maxima (Brady & Norman, 1896)
- Order:
- MYODOCOPA
- Suborder:
- Halocypridina
- Family:
- Halocyprididae
- Subfamily:
- Conchoecinae
- Size range (females):
- 3.2-3.5 mm
- Size range (males):
- 3.0-3.2 mm
- Depth:
- mesopelagic
Notes
283 records
This species was originally described both from the Greenland Sea (74°N) and the Faeroe Channel (~60°N). Both Muller (1906) and Skogsberg (1920) considered it to be a subspecies of B. borealis, despite it being much larger and having rounded shoulder vaults (in contrast to the sharp-edged shoulder vaults that are so characteristic of B. borealis). This confusion between the species persisted until Poulsen (1973) separated not only B. borealis and B. maxima but also B. antipoda. Even so, the confusion has persisted in later literature. For example the detailed reports by Haberstroh (1985) and Richter (1994) give details of large collections of material, which they ascribed, following taxonomic advice, to B. borealis. However, their descriptions and their size data clearly show that their material was predominantly, albeit not exclusively, maxima.
This species is a high Arctic endemic that dominates the mesopelagic halocyprid populations off Svalblad. Russian data show that it is by far the most abundant of the two or three halocyprid species beneath the pack ice of the Arctic where it has been recorded as far north as 86°N. It is abundant in the cold deep water of the Norwegian Sea, hence one of its original records in the outflow water in the Faeroe Channel. In the Iceland Basin it is rare at bathypelagic depths, where it may be an indicator of Norwegian Sea outflow water.
| 60-65°N 20°W | n | Mean mm | s.d. | Range mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 207 | 3.37 | 0.083 | 3.20-3.60 |
| Male | 168 | 3.12 | 0.056 | 2.86-3.28 |
| A-1 | 244 | 2.31 | 0.065 | 2.14-2.48 |
| A-2 | 211 | 1.53 | 0.042 | 1.42-1.64 |
| A-3 | 163 | 1.02 | 0.066 | 0.94-1.08 |
| A-4 | 60 | 0.71 | 0.035 | 0.62-0.08 |
| A-5 | 39 | 0.52 | 0.031 | 0.48-0.60 |
| A-6 | 23 | 0.37 | 0.031 | 0.32-0.44 |
| Svalblad 79°N | n | Mean mm | s.d. | Range mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 47 | 3.34 | 0.088 | 3.08-3.52 |
| Male | 38 | 3.08 | 0.038 | 3.00-3.16 |
| A-1 | 26 | 2.33 | 0.062 | 2.16-2.44 |
| A-2 | 108 | 1.58 | 0.028 | 1.46-1.64 |
| A-3 | 86 | 1.06 | 0.052 | 1.00-1.10 |
| A-4 | 57 | 0.73 | 0.022 | 0.68-0.76 |
| A-5 | 30 | 0.53 | 0.024 | 0.48-0.58 |
| A-6 | 24 | 0.43 | 0.026 | 0.38-0.46 |
