Sea-ice nematodes (Monhysteroidea) collected from the bottom of first year sea-ice, Resolute Passage, Canadian High Arctic, during April/May 1992

The ice was sampled every 4 days during April/May 1992 at two adjacent sites of an ice field station in Resolute Passage. The species have been identified as members of the Monhysteroidea: Theristus melnikovi Tchesunov, 1986; Cryonema tenue Tchesunov and Riemann, 1995; and three unknown monhysterids that are similar to Cryonema.

The maximum population density of nematodes was 23 810 m2. None of the ice nematodes has ever been reported from benthic samples and their occurrence in ephemeral sea ice is the subject of hypotheses. Since a drastic change of the community structure was noted to take place within a few days, it is assumed that the majority of ice-nematode species do not represent an autochthonous faunal element in the examined habitat and that the main site for their reproduction is elsewhere.