Four papers resulting from the Bermuda Ocean Acre program are included in this volume. The data are from 14 cruises conducted between October 1967 and June 1972 to sample the midwater fauna of a roughly one-degree square centered at 32 N, 64 W. The first paper presents information that is pertinent to the entire volume, as well as to any future papers; nature and number of samples, kinds of gear, sampling strategy, treatment of samples, methods of analysis, explanation of terminology, and a general description of the oceanography of the study area. The other three papers present detailed treatment of the life histories and ecology of the species in three families of mesopelagic fishes: Sternoptychidae, the marine hatchetfishes and related species, with 7 species in 4 genera; Myctophidae, the lanternfishes, with 63 species in 18 genera; and Melamphaidae, the so-called bigscales, with 15 species in 4 genera. When data are sufficient, the accounts include descriptions, analyses, and proposed explanations (when appropriate) of size ranges of the developmental stages, sex ratio, life cycle and seasonal abundance, vertical distribution of each growth stage, stage and size stratification, presence or absence of vertical migratory behavior, patchiness of distribution, and differences in day versus night catch rates. All three papers consider th partitioning of resources among species in the treated family. The species and samples of Myctophidae were subjected to factor and cluster analyses by season, and the results are discussed in detail. Keywords: Marine biology. (kt).

Life in the Open Ocean Life in the Open Ocean: The Biology of Pelagic Species provides in-depth coverage of the different marine animal groups that form the communities inhabiting the ocean’s pelagic realm. This comprehensive resource explores the physical environment, foraging strategies, energetics, locomotion, sensory mechanisms, global and vertical distributions, special adaptations, and other characteristics of a wide array of marine taxa. Bringing together the most recent information available in a single volume, authors Joseph J. Torres and Thomas G. Bailey cover the Cnidaria (stinging jellies), the ctenophores (comb jellies), pelagic nemerteans, pelagic annelids, crustaceans, cephalopods and pelagic gastropods, invertebrate chordates, as well as micronektonic and larger fishes such as sharks, tunas, mackerels, and mahi-mahi. Detailed chapters on each pelagic group describe internal and external anatomy, classification and history, feeding and digestion, bioluminescent systems and their function, reproduction and development, respiration, excretion, nervous systems, and more. The first book of its kind to address all of the major animal groups comprising both the swimmers and drifters of the open sea, this important resource: Explains how different animals have adapted to live in the open-ocean environment Covers all sensory mechanisms of animals living in the pelagic habitat, including photoreception, mechanoreception, and chemoreception Treats the diverse micronekton assemblage as a community Includes a thorough introduction to the physical oceanography and properties of water in the pelagic realm Life in the Open Ocean: The Biology of Pelagic Species is an excellent senior-level undergraduate and graduate textbook for courses in biology and biological oceanography, and a valuable reference for all those with interest in open-ocean biology.