Boroecia maxima (Brady & Norman 1896)
The most common pelagic ostracod of the deep Arctic basins and the outflows of polar water into the Atlantic
Size
| min & max (mm) | ||
| Female | 3.30 | 3.85 |
| Male | 3.10 | 3.30 |
A-1 |
2.27 | 2.64 |
| A-2 | 1.58 | 1.85 |
| A-3 | 1.00 | 1.29 |
| A-4 | 0.68 | 0.79 |
| A-5 | 0.52 | 0.61 |
| A-6 | 0.39 | 0.46 |
Color & Characteristics
- Translucent, tinted with red and yellow
- Eggs appear orange through white
- Guts are often dark red
Habitat
- Panarctic & North Atlantic
- Mesopelagic in Arctic, most abundant between depths of 200-500m
Feeding
- Particle feeder
- Detritivore
Life cycle
- Female stores sperm and spawns repeatedly
- Eggs are scattered into the water
- Six juvenile stages before maturity
- Generation time 1 yr
- Spawning likely occurs year-round, but peaks in summer
Page Author: Martin Angel
Created: Oct 20, 2008
