The Symbiotic Association of Starfish Asterias rubens and Copepod Scottomyzon gibberum

In this paper we study the specifics of the population of copepods Scottomyzon gibberum Scott dwell in starfish Asterias rubens L. in Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea near the N.A.Pertsov White Sea Biological Station. We singled out the "average" most populated starfish size class. The distribution of copepods on the surface and the proportion of individuals in the galls depend on the type of the biotope in which populations of starfish live and salinity of the water. In the area of Polovie islands and "Babie Sea" population of starfish is higher as well as the number of cells in their coelomic fluid. The area of the carapace of copepods in the researched water area varies.