Changes in the age-size structure of the Barents Sea euphausiids under the pressure of fish predation in warm climatic periods

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Four euphausiid species dwell in the Barents Sea – Meganyctiphanes norvegica, Thysanoessa inermis, T.raschii and T.longicaudata. The ratio of these species in the euphausiid community depends on climatic conditions and an intensity of inflows from the Norwegian Sea. A strong drift of warmwater species was observed last year, that resulted in their high abundance and wide distribution compared to the low abundance and local distribution of coldwater species. Simultaneously, significant changes in the size composition of euphausiids were observed in the last years due to an increased predation of both pelagic and demersal fish on euphausiids. The paper describes changes in the abundance and size composition of various euphausiid species and their importance for the diet of most abundant fish in the Barents Sea in the last years.