Benthic macrofauna of sandy intertidal zone at Santos estuarine system, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Species composition, faunal density, species diversity and zonation patterns of benthic macrofauna, as well as its relation to sediment characteristics were examined and compared in three sandy beaches on the polyhaline area at Santos estuarine system in the State of São Paulo. Samples were collected quarterly during one year (July/1977 - May/1978). Low, mean and high intertidal levels were sampled. Polyehaetes dominated the fauna, both in terms of numbers of species and numbers of individuals. The community structure of Ponta da Praia beach was characterized by high density, low diversity (H') and evenness (J'), due to the dominance of the spionid Scolelepis squamata. At Vicente de Carvalho the fauna was characterized by the dominance of the polyehaetes Laeonereis acuta and Capitella capitata and presented low density, high diversity and evenness. At Bertioga Channel, intermediate values were observed and the fauna was dominated by Scololepis squamata andLaeonereis acuta. The sediment texture was responsible for those figures, although some differences in diversity may be explained by differences in wave energy. The low number of crustaceans and molluscs suggests the effect of the estuarine pollution upon the fauna. The zonation pattern of both species distribution and community structure differed at the studied sites; it was not correlated with sediment characteristics which were relatively uniform down shore; however, the lowest diversity was observed at the high level in all sites.

Spatial distribution of annelids in the intertidal zone in Sao Sebastiao Channel, Brazil

“…This pattern was also observed in the estuarine system of Santos in southeastern Brazil (Corbisier, 1991), in the midand subtidal zones of Perdido Key, Florida (Rakocinski et al, 1993), and at a sandy beach in southern Brazil (Souza and Gianuca, 1995). Wendt and McLachlan (1985) believed that the area adjacent to the subtidal is more stable and there are more niches available, because dessication and temperature variation are less, and feeding activity lasts longer.…”

Soft-Bottom macrobenthic communities of the Vitória Bay estuarine system, South-eastern Brazil

“…1) restrict water flow in both directions, effectively isolating that portion of the channel and greatly reducing the advantages of oceanic water dilution during rising tides and accentuating the negative impact of organic pollution discharge (Pereira et al, 2000). Species richness at intertidal stations 1 and 10 was higher than that found in other studies of Brazilian tropical estuarine systems (Corbisier, 1991), including that of the sandy-beach intertidal areas Reis et al, 2000;Denadai et al, 2001). Outer stations, both intertidally and subtidally, had a higher richness than other subtropical Brazilian soft-bottom communities (Borzone & Souza, 1997) and much higher than those of subtropical Atlantic estuaries Capitoli et al, 1978;Ieno & Bastida, 1998;Muniz & Venturini, 2001).…”

“…In the estuarine system of Vitória Bay, as in other estuaries adjacent to major cities (Corbisier, 1991;Ahn & Choi, 1998;Stark, 1998;Ueda et al, 2000;Inglis & Kross, 2000), a pollution gradient overlies on the typical estuarine gradient. Thus, outer stations (e.g.…”

Biologia e anatomia funcional de Donax gemmula Morrison (Bivalvia, Donacidae) do litoral de São Paulo, Brasil

“…Essa observação é corroborada pelas características da concha de D. gemmula que explora, principalmente, o infralitoral de praias expostas no extremo sul de sua distribuição (ESCOFET et al 1979, GIANUCA 1987, BORZONE & GIANUCA 1990, SOUZA & GIANUCA 1995, BORZONE & SOUZA 1997, embora seja encontrada também na região entremarés de praias abrigadas, como registrado por AMARAL et al (1990), CORBISIER (1991, VAROLI (1996), e no presente estudo.…”

“…Donax gemmula ocorre desde o Estado do Espírito Santo, no Brasil, até o Uruguai (RIOS 1994), sendo pouco freqüente no litoral deste último país (FIGUEIRAS & SICARDI 1979 ESCOFET et al (1979), GIANUCA (1987), AMARAL et al (1990), BORZONE & GIANUCA (1990), CORBISIER (1991), SOUZA & GIANUCA (1995), VAROLI (1996), BORZONE & SOUZA (1997) A anatomia descritiva de espécies de Donacidae foi abordada por RIDEWOOD (1903), PELSENEER (1911), GRAHAM (1934a, b), ATKINS (1938a, b), DUVAL (1963), NAKAZIMA (1965), MOUËZA & FRENKIEL (1974, ODIETE (1981), HODGSON (1982), ANSELL et al (1999), FISHELSON (2000) e LUZZATO & PENCHASZADEH (2001). Estudos anáto-mo-funcionais de Donacidae tiveram início com ATKINS (1937a, b); YONGE (1949) foi o primeiro a fazer uma análise mais completa e comparativa dentre os Tellinoidea, adotando Donax vittatus (Da Costa, 1778) como representante dos Donacidae.…”