Page 1. Botanica Marina 51 (2008): 92102 2008 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York. DOI 10.1... more Page 1. Botanica Marina 51 (2008): 92102 2008 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York. DOI 10.1515/BOT.2008.016 Article in press - uncorrected proof 2008/68 Seasonal variation in a deep subtidal Zostera marina L. bed in southern Spain (western Mediterranean Sea) ...
The molluscan macrofauna living in shallow muddy bottoms with the green algae Caulerpa prolifera ... more The molluscan macrofauna living in shallow muddy bottoms with the green algae Caulerpa prolifera was studied monthly between February 1994 and January 1996 in the inner Bay of Cádiz (SW Spain). The molluscan assemblage followed a similar pattern over the 2 years, displaying seasonal trends in species richness, abundance and structure. During the autumn and winter months, a decrease in abundance, species richness and diversity and an increase in evenness occurred. During the spring and summer months, the molluscan assemblage was characterised by an increase in species richness, abundance and diversity. These seasonal trends were supported statistically by the presence of significantly different groupings of seasonal samples in multivariate analyses.Despite human impacts in the bay (e.g. aquaculture activities, sewage), the presence of repetitive seasonal trends, based on the qualitative and quantitative data, indicates the stability of the molluscan assemblage over 2 years. Benthic characteristics from the inner Bay of Cádiz, such as shallow soft bottoms with the presence of macrophytes and current dynamics, seem to be key factors influencing the composition and seasonality of this molluscan assemblage.
Deep-sea Research Part I-oceanographic Research Papers, 2002
Lucinoma kazani, a new deep-water species of Lucinidae from the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, is d... more Lucinoma kazani, a new deep-water species of Lucinidae from the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, is described and illustrated. The material was collected in the Anaximander Mountains, between Rhodes and Cyprus, Eastern Mediterranean. The first living specimens were collected during the Dutch ANAXIPROBE project in the Kazan volcano, at a depth of 1709 m. Later, during the MEDINAUT programme, both living specimens and shells were collected from several mud volcanoes at different depths in the Anaximander Mountains.This bivalve holds symbionts in the ctenidia, as do all previously studied Lucinidae. The type of habitat of this new species is gas-saturated mud, with high levels of methane, which diffuses upwards into a low-oxygen deep-water. Therefore, we consider this as evidence of a living cold seep community in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Journal of The Marine Biological Association of The United Kingdom, 2009
Cambridge Journals Online (CJO) is the e-publishing service for over 270 journals published by Ca... more Cambridge Journals Online (CJO) is the e-publishing service for over 270 journals published by Cambridge University Press and is entirely developed and hosted in-house. The platform's powerful capacity and reliable performance are maintained by a combination of our own expertise ...
Molluscs associated with a Zostera marina bed from Cantarriján bay (Southern Spain, Alboran Sea) ... more Molluscs associated with a Zostera marina bed from Cantarriján bay (Southern Spain, Alboran Sea) at 14–16 m depth were sampled monthly from October 1996 to September 1997. A total of 44,819 individuals belonging to 80 species were identified. In spite of the high species richness, only seven species of gastropods showed a dominance value (D) higher than 1%. Jujubinus striatus was the dominant species of the assemblage with 70.8% of the total abundance. The other dominant species were Rissoa membranacea (9.8%), Nassarius pygmaeus (5.8%), Mitrella minor (4%), Smaragdia viridis (1.9%), Rissoa monodonta (1.4%), Bittium reticulatum (1.3%). The dynamic pattern of the mollusc populations showed a temporal trend with monthly values of species richness and abundance ranging between 10 and 25 species and between 178 and 4412 individuals·222 m−2. The species richness and abundance were higher in the spring and summer months than in the autumn and winter ones. The diversity (Shannon–Wiener, H’) follows a similar trend, with increases from April to September and decreases from October to March. H’ values (ranging from 0.45 to 3.10) are more influenced by the evenness (J) than by the species richness. A multivariate analysis (Cluster, Multi-dimensional Scaling) based on both presence/absence and quantitative data has also pointed out a temporal trend, with spring–summer samples significantly different from autumn–winter samples. The temporal changes in abundance seem related with the species’ biology, such as recruitment events, as well as to the canopy features and shoot density variation in the Zostera meadow. From the biogeographical point of view, most of the molluscs (65%) found in the Cantarriján bed, have a Lusitanian–Mediterranean distribution (sensuEkman 1953). The proximity to Africa is shown by the presence of four species with a mainly West African distribution. Only R. membranacea has a typical Atlantic distribution, driven by that of Z. marina in NW Europe.
The temporal variation of the molluscan fauna associated with a deep Zostera marina bed (12–14 m ... more The temporal variation of the molluscan fauna associated with a deep Zostera marina bed (12–14 m depth) in Cañuelo Bay (southern Spain) has been studied in relation to water, sediment and eelgrass variables. Samples of molluscs from the sediment and the eelgrass (5 replicates per season) were seasonally collected using a quadrat of 25 × 25 cm. The water column was characterized by the temperature and chlorophyll a concentration. The grain size distribution of the sediment and percentage of organic matter (%OM) were also studied. Estimations of the shoot density, leaf/rhizome biomass and Leaf Area Index (LAI) have been obtained for each sample. Statistical analyses have been performed with SYSTAT and PRIMER software. A total of 2396 individuals and 85 species of molluscs were collected. The most dominant species were infaunal bivalves such as Tellina distorta (28.1%), Dosinia lupinus, Tellina fabula and Chamelea gallina. The gastropods Jujubinus striatus (4.6%), Nassarius pygmaeus and Bittium reticulatum were the dominant epifaunal species. The most frequent species was T. distorta (100%), followed by other infaunal bivalves such as T. fabula, Solemya togata or Lucinella divaricata. The most frequent gastropods were J. striatus (95%), followed by B. reticulatum, N. pygmaeus, Nassarius reticulatus, Mitrella minor and Smaragdia viridis. The abundance of molluscs displayed significant maximum values in summer and autumn (above 2500 indiv. m−2) and minimum values in spring (below 1500 indiv. m−2). The abundance of the epifauna was related with leaf biomass, whereas that of the infauna was positively related with %OM. The species richness also followed a significant seasonal variation with maximum values in summer (64 species in all summer samples) and minimum values in autumn (44 in all autumn samples), and was positively related with LAI. In both qualitative and quantitative cluster/MDS, samples (replicates) mainly grouped according to the season, with significantly different groupings according to ANOSIM analyses. The studied eelgrass bed is less dense, with a lower leaf biomass, than other European eelgrass beds occurring at shallower depths; however the species richness values are the highest along Europe. The latter could be due to its geographical location in the Alboran Sea, where a confluence of Atlantic, Mediterranean and African fauna occurs.
The feeding activity of the gastropod Smaragdia viridis on Zostera marina (eelgrass) was studied ... more The feeding activity of the gastropod Smaragdia viridis on Zostera marina (eelgrass) was studied under laboratory conditions and from shoots collected in a deep eelgrass bed (12–14 m depth) in southern Spain (Alboran Sea). This gastropod preferentially ingested young leaf tissues, such as those located in the central leaf and first pair of adjacent leaves and at close distances from the junction of the leaves with the sheath. The ingestion rate of this gastropod was size dependent, ingesting up to 40.6 mm2 of epidermal tissues in 24 h (for large individuals), however this value generally represented a very low percentage of the area of a single shoot (0.3–2.1%). The absorption of eelgrass tissues, in relation to digested/non-digested eelgrass cells in faecal pellets, was not size dependent and reached high values (75–90% cells digested). The grazing impact in an eelgrass bed, based on the affected area (length of radular marks by leaf width), also represented a very low value (0.3–1.1%) in relation to the total LAI (Leaf Area Index) available. A seasonal trend of herbivory was registered with maximum values in summer together with maximum densities of S. viridis.
ABSTRACT The occurrence of a living population of the giant deep-sea oyster Neopycnodonte zibrowi... more ABSTRACT The occurrence of a living population of the giant deep-sea oyster Neopycnodonte zibrowii is reported on the slopes of Hespérides Mud Volcano Complex in the Gulf of Cádiz, south-western Iberian Peninsula, in 720 m depth. A noteworthy circumstance of this new record is its situation on a sea bottom which was suitable for the operation of a rock dredge and does not apparently feature abrupt cliffs or rocky overhangs as in previous reports on the species.
The diel and seasonal variation of molluscs living in a Zostera marina bed (12–14 m depth) from s... more The diel and seasonal variation of molluscs living in a Zostera marina bed (12–14 m depth) from southern Spain have been studied for one year using a small Agassiz trawl for collecting the samples (222 m2). The frequent and dominant species were very similar in both diurnal and nocturnal samples, including mainly gastropods such as Jujubinus striatus, Nassarius pygmaeus, Mitrella minor, Calliostoma planatum, Rissoa membranacea or Smaragdia viridis. Nevertheless, a significant increase of abundance of scavengers (e.g. Nassarius spp.) and carnivores (e.g. cephalopods) was registered in nocturnal samples. The abundance was maximal in spring and summer in diurnal and nocturnal samples and also in autumn for nocturnal ones, displaying significantly higher values in nocturnal samples. The species richness, diversity and evenness displayed a similar seasonal trend for diurnal and nocturnal samples, with maximum values during summer months. Monthly variation of the molluscan composition (species presence-absence data) was more acute than diel variation, according to the Cluster, MDS and ANOSIM results. Nevertheless, both monthly and diel changes in the structure (species abundance data) of the molluscan taxocoenosis were important throughout the year. Diel changes in the structure of the molluscan fauna are related to an increase of abundance of some species at nighttime due to vertical movements from the sediment to the shoots or along them (e.g. J. striatus, Nassarius spp.) or due to horizontal movements from adjacent habitats (e.g. cephalopods). Nevertheless, some species such as Rissoa spp. or Bittium spp. stay on the leaves of Z. marina during day as well as nighttime.
The reproductive cycle of Venus verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758 was studied using histology and changes ... more The reproductive cycle of Venus verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758 was studied using histology and changes in flesh dry weight, in the littoral of Málaga (southern Spain), from June 1999 to May 2000. Histological study of the gonads showed spawning throughout the year, with two peaks. The first lasts from March to April, and is accompanied by the highest decrease of weight; the second is from May to August with the highest percentage of population spawning. There is new activation of the gonads from postactive stages, without passing through a resting period (with a high percentage of the population in the cytolized stage). The absence of a resting period in the reproductive cycle could be explained by the mild seawater temperatures and high levels of chlorophyll a in the littoral of Málaga. In the light of these data, we propose a closed season from March to April, months during which there was the most intense release of gametes in the population.
... Sea. It is one of the dominant molluscs in Zostera marina beds in both the Atlantic Ocean (Hi... more ... Sea. It is one of the dominant molluscs in Zostera marina beds in both the Atlantic Ocean (Hily et al., 2004; Quintas, personal communication) and in the Alboran Sea (García-Raso et al., 2004; Arroyo et al., 2006). ... availability. Hily et al. ...
Page 1. Botanica Marina 51 (2008): 92102 2008 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York. DOI 10.1... more Page 1. Botanica Marina 51 (2008): 92102 2008 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York. DOI 10.1515/BOT.2008.016 Article in press - uncorrected proof 2008/68 Seasonal variation in a deep subtidal Zostera marina L. bed in southern Spain (western Mediterranean Sea) ...
The molluscan macrofauna living in shallow muddy bottoms with the green algae Caulerpa prolifera ... more The molluscan macrofauna living in shallow muddy bottoms with the green algae Caulerpa prolifera was studied monthly between February 1994 and January 1996 in the inner Bay of Cádiz (SW Spain). The molluscan assemblage followed a similar pattern over the 2 years, displaying seasonal trends in species richness, abundance and structure. During the autumn and winter months, a decrease in abundance, species richness and diversity and an increase in evenness occurred. During the spring and summer months, the molluscan assemblage was characterised by an increase in species richness, abundance and diversity. These seasonal trends were supported statistically by the presence of significantly different groupings of seasonal samples in multivariate analyses.Despite human impacts in the bay (e.g. aquaculture activities, sewage), the presence of repetitive seasonal trends, based on the qualitative and quantitative data, indicates the stability of the molluscan assemblage over 2 years. Benthic characteristics from the inner Bay of Cádiz, such as shallow soft bottoms with the presence of macrophytes and current dynamics, seem to be key factors influencing the composition and seasonality of this molluscan assemblage.
Deep-sea Research Part I-oceanographic Research Papers, 2002
Lucinoma kazani, a new deep-water species of Lucinidae from the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, is d... more Lucinoma kazani, a new deep-water species of Lucinidae from the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, is described and illustrated. The material was collected in the Anaximander Mountains, between Rhodes and Cyprus, Eastern Mediterranean. The first living specimens were collected during the Dutch ANAXIPROBE project in the Kazan volcano, at a depth of 1709 m. Later, during the MEDINAUT programme, both living specimens and shells were collected from several mud volcanoes at different depths in the Anaximander Mountains.This bivalve holds symbionts in the ctenidia, as do all previously studied Lucinidae. The type of habitat of this new species is gas-saturated mud, with high levels of methane, which diffuses upwards into a low-oxygen deep-water. Therefore, we consider this as evidence of a living cold seep community in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Journal of The Marine Biological Association of The United Kingdom, 2009
Cambridge Journals Online (CJO) is the e-publishing service for over 270 journals published by Ca... more Cambridge Journals Online (CJO) is the e-publishing service for over 270 journals published by Cambridge University Press and is entirely developed and hosted in-house. The platform's powerful capacity and reliable performance are maintained by a combination of our own expertise ...
Molluscs associated with a Zostera marina bed from Cantarriján bay (Southern Spain, Alboran Sea) ... more Molluscs associated with a Zostera marina bed from Cantarriján bay (Southern Spain, Alboran Sea) at 14–16 m depth were sampled monthly from October 1996 to September 1997. A total of 44,819 individuals belonging to 80 species were identified. In spite of the high species richness, only seven species of gastropods showed a dominance value (D) higher than 1%. Jujubinus striatus was the dominant species of the assemblage with 70.8% of the total abundance. The other dominant species were Rissoa membranacea (9.8%), Nassarius pygmaeus (5.8%), Mitrella minor (4%), Smaragdia viridis (1.9%), Rissoa monodonta (1.4%), Bittium reticulatum (1.3%). The dynamic pattern of the mollusc populations showed a temporal trend with monthly values of species richness and abundance ranging between 10 and 25 species and between 178 and 4412 individuals·222 m−2. The species richness and abundance were higher in the spring and summer months than in the autumn and winter ones. The diversity (Shannon–Wiener, H’) follows a similar trend, with increases from April to September and decreases from October to March. H’ values (ranging from 0.45 to 3.10) are more influenced by the evenness (J) than by the species richness. A multivariate analysis (Cluster, Multi-dimensional Scaling) based on both presence/absence and quantitative data has also pointed out a temporal trend, with spring–summer samples significantly different from autumn–winter samples. The temporal changes in abundance seem related with the species’ biology, such as recruitment events, as well as to the canopy features and shoot density variation in the Zostera meadow. From the biogeographical point of view, most of the molluscs (65%) found in the Cantarriján bed, have a Lusitanian–Mediterranean distribution (sensuEkman 1953). The proximity to Africa is shown by the presence of four species with a mainly West African distribution. Only R. membranacea has a typical Atlantic distribution, driven by that of Z. marina in NW Europe.
The temporal variation of the molluscan fauna associated with a deep Zostera marina bed (12–14 m ... more The temporal variation of the molluscan fauna associated with a deep Zostera marina bed (12–14 m depth) in Cañuelo Bay (southern Spain) has been studied in relation to water, sediment and eelgrass variables. Samples of molluscs from the sediment and the eelgrass (5 replicates per season) were seasonally collected using a quadrat of 25 × 25 cm. The water column was characterized by the temperature and chlorophyll a concentration. The grain size distribution of the sediment and percentage of organic matter (%OM) were also studied. Estimations of the shoot density, leaf/rhizome biomass and Leaf Area Index (LAI) have been obtained for each sample. Statistical analyses have been performed with SYSTAT and PRIMER software. A total of 2396 individuals and 85 species of molluscs were collected. The most dominant species were infaunal bivalves such as Tellina distorta (28.1%), Dosinia lupinus, Tellina fabula and Chamelea gallina. The gastropods Jujubinus striatus (4.6%), Nassarius pygmaeus and Bittium reticulatum were the dominant epifaunal species. The most frequent species was T. distorta (100%), followed by other infaunal bivalves such as T. fabula, Solemya togata or Lucinella divaricata. The most frequent gastropods were J. striatus (95%), followed by B. reticulatum, N. pygmaeus, Nassarius reticulatus, Mitrella minor and Smaragdia viridis. The abundance of molluscs displayed significant maximum values in summer and autumn (above 2500 indiv. m−2) and minimum values in spring (below 1500 indiv. m−2). The abundance of the epifauna was related with leaf biomass, whereas that of the infauna was positively related with %OM. The species richness also followed a significant seasonal variation with maximum values in summer (64 species in all summer samples) and minimum values in autumn (44 in all autumn samples), and was positively related with LAI. In both qualitative and quantitative cluster/MDS, samples (replicates) mainly grouped according to the season, with significantly different groupings according to ANOSIM analyses. The studied eelgrass bed is less dense, with a lower leaf biomass, than other European eelgrass beds occurring at shallower depths; however the species richness values are the highest along Europe. The latter could be due to its geographical location in the Alboran Sea, where a confluence of Atlantic, Mediterranean and African fauna occurs.
The feeding activity of the gastropod Smaragdia viridis on Zostera marina (eelgrass) was studied ... more The feeding activity of the gastropod Smaragdia viridis on Zostera marina (eelgrass) was studied under laboratory conditions and from shoots collected in a deep eelgrass bed (12–14 m depth) in southern Spain (Alboran Sea). This gastropod preferentially ingested young leaf tissues, such as those located in the central leaf and first pair of adjacent leaves and at close distances from the junction of the leaves with the sheath. The ingestion rate of this gastropod was size dependent, ingesting up to 40.6 mm2 of epidermal tissues in 24 h (for large individuals), however this value generally represented a very low percentage of the area of a single shoot (0.3–2.1%). The absorption of eelgrass tissues, in relation to digested/non-digested eelgrass cells in faecal pellets, was not size dependent and reached high values (75–90% cells digested). The grazing impact in an eelgrass bed, based on the affected area (length of radular marks by leaf width), also represented a very low value (0.3–1.1%) in relation to the total LAI (Leaf Area Index) available. A seasonal trend of herbivory was registered with maximum values in summer together with maximum densities of S. viridis.
ABSTRACT The occurrence of a living population of the giant deep-sea oyster Neopycnodonte zibrowi... more ABSTRACT The occurrence of a living population of the giant deep-sea oyster Neopycnodonte zibrowii is reported on the slopes of Hespérides Mud Volcano Complex in the Gulf of Cádiz, south-western Iberian Peninsula, in 720 m depth. A noteworthy circumstance of this new record is its situation on a sea bottom which was suitable for the operation of a rock dredge and does not apparently feature abrupt cliffs or rocky overhangs as in previous reports on the species.
The diel and seasonal variation of molluscs living in a Zostera marina bed (12–14 m depth) from s... more The diel and seasonal variation of molluscs living in a Zostera marina bed (12–14 m depth) from southern Spain have been studied for one year using a small Agassiz trawl for collecting the samples (222 m2). The frequent and dominant species were very similar in both diurnal and nocturnal samples, including mainly gastropods such as Jujubinus striatus, Nassarius pygmaeus, Mitrella minor, Calliostoma planatum, Rissoa membranacea or Smaragdia viridis. Nevertheless, a significant increase of abundance of scavengers (e.g. Nassarius spp.) and carnivores (e.g. cephalopods) was registered in nocturnal samples. The abundance was maximal in spring and summer in diurnal and nocturnal samples and also in autumn for nocturnal ones, displaying significantly higher values in nocturnal samples. The species richness, diversity and evenness displayed a similar seasonal trend for diurnal and nocturnal samples, with maximum values during summer months. Monthly variation of the molluscan composition (species presence-absence data) was more acute than diel variation, according to the Cluster, MDS and ANOSIM results. Nevertheless, both monthly and diel changes in the structure (species abundance data) of the molluscan taxocoenosis were important throughout the year. Diel changes in the structure of the molluscan fauna are related to an increase of abundance of some species at nighttime due to vertical movements from the sediment to the shoots or along them (e.g. J. striatus, Nassarius spp.) or due to horizontal movements from adjacent habitats (e.g. cephalopods). Nevertheless, some species such as Rissoa spp. or Bittium spp. stay on the leaves of Z. marina during day as well as nighttime.
The reproductive cycle of Venus verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758 was studied using histology and changes ... more The reproductive cycle of Venus verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758 was studied using histology and changes in flesh dry weight, in the littoral of Málaga (southern Spain), from June 1999 to May 2000. Histological study of the gonads showed spawning throughout the year, with two peaks. The first lasts from March to April, and is accompanied by the highest decrease of weight; the second is from May to August with the highest percentage of population spawning. There is new activation of the gonads from postactive stages, without passing through a resting period (with a high percentage of the population in the cytolized stage). The absence of a resting period in the reproductive cycle could be explained by the mild seawater temperatures and high levels of chlorophyll a in the littoral of Málaga. In the light of these data, we propose a closed season from March to April, months during which there was the most intense release of gametes in the population.
... Sea. It is one of the dominant molluscs in Zostera marina beds in both the Atlantic Ocean (Hi... more ... Sea. It is one of the dominant molluscs in Zostera marina beds in both the Atlantic Ocean (Hily et al., 2004; Quintas, personal communication) and in the Alboran Sea (García-Raso et al., 2004; Arroyo et al., 2006). ... availability. Hily et al. ...
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