No abstract

An inventory of polychaete species is presented from the north-east coast of Tunisia with an historic review of the previous literature from Tunisian coasts. Altogether 40 families, 146 genera, and 238 species are currently known from the area, of which 86 taxa, 4 families (Chrysopetalidae, Pilargidae, Protodrilidae and Saccocirridae) and 40 genera (Saccocirrus, Protodrilus, Parathelepus, Thelepus, Petta, Isolda, Brada, Tharyx, Paraprionospio, Jasmineira, Hypsicomus, Euchone, Pseudobranchiomma, Laonome, Galathowenia, Lugia, Pseudomystides, Protomystides, Pirakia, Mysta, Eurysyllis, Parapionosyllis, Streptosyllis, Paraehlersia, Sigambra, Ancistrosyllis, Kefersteinia, Chrysopetalum, Bhawania, Fimbriosthenelais, Subadyte, Panthalis, Dorvillea, Scalibregma, Paradoneis, Cirrophorus, Metasychis, Websterinereis, Euniphysa and Mastobranchus) are new additions to the polychaete fauna of Tunisia. The list, which provides a synthesis of the regional taxonomic work, including coastal areas from Sidi Daoud to the area of Menzel Hurr (Cap Bon Peninsula, Western Mediterranean Sea), can serve as a baseline for future studies.

in Tunisia, polychaete studies are very rare (Fauvel 1924 a, b; Westheide 1972; Zibrowius 1970, 1971; Cantone 1978; Ben Amor 1984; Zaâbi & Afli 2005). The aim of this study was to update and fill in gaps in data of polychaetes of Tunisia. Samples were taken aboard the research vessel R/V Hannibal with a Van Veen grab (0.1 m²) and a core (0.009 m²). Nine sites located on the peninsula of Cap Bon on the NE coast of Tunisia, from Sidi Daoud to Ras Lahmer, were sampled in 2005 and 2006. A total of 5,920 individuals in 29 families and 88 species of polychaetes were identified. Twenty-nine species were newly recorded for Tunisia, including the ampharetid Isolda pulchella O.F. Müller, 1858 and the paraonid Aricidea cerrutii (Laubier, 1966). Diversity parameters were established. Abundance and species richness were higher in shallow waters dominated by Protodorvillea kefersteini (McIntosh, 1869) and Malacoceros fuliginosus (Claparède, 1868) than in deep waters where Aponuphis fauveli (Rioja, 1918) and Euclymene palermitana (Grube, 1840) dominated. Multivariate methods, including the Shannon diversity index, cluster analysis, and rank frequency analysis, were used to characterize the spatial structure and temporal variability of the different communities.

No abstract

Journal of Coastal Zone ManagementJ o u rn al of C o a s ta l Zon e M a n ag emen t Abstract To evaluate genetic variability within and among Populations of Hyalinoecia tubicola (Müller, 1776), 30 individuals from seven populations were compared using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Populations of Hyalinoecia tubicola (Müller 1776) were sampled during the period 2005-2006 from six different sites in the Cap Bon peninsula (North East coast of Tunisia). Genomic DNA of the 25 individuals studied was purified, and genetic analysis was conducted using RAPD primers. Molecular variability into the populations was analyzed using PopGene 1.32 software. One population of Aponuphis bilineata was used as an out group for the study. Results showed that the sampled populations are genetically diverse according to the high value of the gene flow (8.26) and the Nei's genetic index for the total populations (0.2). These preliminary results have important implications for conservation policy.