Biogeography of Brazilian prosobranch gastropods and their Atlantic relationships

Abstract

Aim The present study uses marine prosobranchs from shallow waters (down to 200 m) as a model to determine biogeographical units along the Brazilian coast and to investigate changes in assemblages along the Western Atlantic.Location Western Atlantic Ocean.Methods The composition and species distribution of prosobranchs were determined using secondary data and information gathered from Brazilian scientific collections. The similarities among the areas were calculated using the Sørensen, Simpson and Ochiai Indices, and were illustrated using dendrograms constructed by unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages. Ordination analysis was performed using non-metric multi-dimensional scaling based on the similarity matrices.Results As a result of the compilation performed, 700 marine prosobranch species distributed in 81 families from shallow waters were recorded in Brazil.The results show a clear correlation between geographic distance between areas and their faunal similarity. There is a gradual latitudinal variation in marine prosobranch assemblages along the Brazilian coastline. The coastal areas sustain richer gastropod assemblages than the oceanic islands.Main conclusions Considering the results of cluster and ordination analyses, this study proposes to divide the Brazilian coast into four regions: (1) Guyanese Province (Amap a state), (2) North-eastern Brazil Area (from the mouth of the Amazon to southern Bahia, Brazil), (3) South-eastern Brazil Area (from southern Bahia to Santa Catarina, Brazil, transition zone), and (4) Argentinian Province (Rio Grande do Sul state). The North-eastern and South-eastern Brazil Areas belong to the Brazilian Province. The Brazilian insular areas are biogeographical units distinct from the other regions studied. Each island has its own composition of marine prosobranchs from shallow waters, while they share species with other coastal and island environments.

South‐western Atlantic reef fishes: Zoogeographical patterns and ecological drivers reveal a secondary biodiversity centre in the Atlantic Ocean

“…Barroso et al. () also found the highest richness for prosobranch gastropods in Bahia. Such richness can be attributed either to the long coastline of Bahia (the longest among Brazilian states) and its habitat diversity or by the transition region in Espírito Santo state, which shelters biogenic reefs to the north and rocky reefs under upwelling influence to the south (Floeter et al., ; Pinheiro, Madureira, Joyeux, & Martins, ; Mazzei et al., ).…”

“…(); Espírito Santo State grouping with the north‐east coast, in Kulbicki et al. () and Barroso, Lotufo, and Matthews‐Cascon ()] or five ecoregions (Spalding et al., ). However, our results revealed a robust clustering of east Brazil with south‐eastern Brazil, contrasting with previous analyses that highlighted differences between biogenic (coralline algae or coral) reefs and rocky reefs that characterize those regions (Floeter et al., , ).…”

“…Recent biogeographic studies have shown that the Brazilian coastal reef fish fauna may form two different clusters [north-east and south-east, in Floeter et al (2008); Espírito Santo State grouping with the north-east coast, in Kulbicki et al (2013) and Barroso, Lotufo, and Matthews-Cascon (2016)] or five ecoregions (Spalding et al, 2007). However, our results revealed a robust clustering of east Brazil with south-eastern Brazil, contrasting with previous analyses that highlighted differences between biogenic (coralline algae or coral) reefs and rocky reefs that characterize those regions .…”

Evaluating the boundaries of marine biogeographic regions of the Southwestern Atlantic using halacarid mites (Halacaridae), meiobenthic organisms with a low dispersal potential

“…Floeter et al () suggested that it lies in Northern Espírito Santo (20°S), mentioning that Abrolhos reefs and the Vitória–Trindade Ridge form a topographical barrier to the Brazil Current inducing fundamental changes in physical, chemical, and biological features over the SE shelf. Barroso, Lotufo, and Matthews‐Cascon () supported a similar conclusion with prosobranch gastropods, while Pinheiro et al () grouped the reef fish communities of Bahia with the Southeast. Similarly, coastal fishes of the genus Macrodon form two almost parapatric sister species (Santos, Hrbek, Farias, Schneider, & Sampaio, ), separated at the Abrolhos Plateau region (approx.…”

New Additions to Inventory of Marine Mollusc Species from Santa Catarina State/SC, Central Southern Brazil

“…However, to the biogeography of this species, recently Barroso et al [9] adds the following (sic): "...…”