Demosponges of the red coral bottoms from the Alboran Sea

Maldonado, Manuel

doi:10.1080/00222939200770661

Cited by 40 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(11 reference statements)

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“…Previously available information on the sponge fauna of the Alboran Sea (Templado et al 1986;Pansini et al 1987;Maldonado 1992;Boury-Esnault et al 1994;Maldonado & Uriz 1996, 1999Rosell & Uriz 2002;Templado et al 2006) strongly suggests that sponges may be an important component of the benthos at the still ill-known deep shelf of the Alboran Island. Interestingly, the deep-shelf sponge fauna of the Alboran Island bears some similarities with that reported from the easternmost areas of the western Mediterranean, such as the Ligurian Sea and the Strait of Sicily (Pansini et al 1987;Maldonado & Uriz 1995;Bertolino et al 2013a;Bertolino et al 2013b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New and rare sponges from the deep shelf of the Alboran Island (Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean)

Sitjà

Maldonado

2014

Zootaxa

651

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The sponge fauna from the deep shelf (70 to 200 m) of the Alboran Island (Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean) was investigated using a combination of ROV surveys and collecting devices in the frame of the EC LIFE+ INDEMARES Grant aimed to designate marine areas of the Nature 2000 Network within Spanish territorial waters. From ROV surveys and 351 examined specimens, a total of 87 sponge species were identified, most belonging in the Class Demospongiae, and one belonging in the Class Hexactinellida. Twenty six (29%) species can be regarded as either taxonomically or faunistically relevant. Three of them were new to science (Axinella alborana nov. sp.; Axinella spatula nov. sp.; Endectyon filiformis nov. sp.) and 4 others were Atlantic species recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea (Jaspis eudermis Lévi & Vacelet, 1958; Hemiasterella elongata Topsent, 1928; Axinella vellerea Topsent, 1904; Gelliodes fayalensis Topsent, 1892). Another outstanding finding was a complete specimen of Rhabdobaris implicata Pulitzer-Finali, 1983, a species only known from its holotype, which had entirely been dissolved for its description. Our second record of the species has allowed a neotype designation and a restitution of the recently abolished genus Rhabdobaris Pulitzer-Finally, 1983, also forcing a slight modification of the diagnosis of the family Bubaridae. Additionally, 12 species were recorded for the first time from the shelf of the Alboran Island, including a few individuals of the large hexactinellid Asconema setubalense Kent, 1877 that provided the second Mediterranean record of this "North Atlantic" hexactinellid. ROV explorations also revealed that sponges are an important component of the deep-shelf benthos, particularly on rocky bottoms, where they make peculiar sponge gardens characterized by a wide diversity of small, erect species forming a dense "undergrowth" among a scatter of large sponges and gorgonians. The great abundance and the taxonomic singularities of the sponge fauna occurring in these deep-shelf bottoms strongly suggest these habitats to be considered within the environmental protection of the Nature 2000 Network.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New and rare sponges from the deep shelf of the Alboran Island (Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean)

Sitjà

Maldonado

2014

Zootaxa

651

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“…Although submerged vegetation patterns have been studied in several localities of the Alboran Sea (Giaccone, 1972;González, 1994), species composition of some circalittoral communities has been described (Templado et al, 1986;Templado et al, 1993;Maldonado, 1992Maldonado, , 1993, and the knowledge of the main invertebrates thriving in its waters is compiled in Ocaña et al (2000), there are no available data on macroalgae and macrofauna species composition and distribution of communities along depth gradients in shallow (0-50 m) waters, with the exception of two transects described in Cebrian et al (2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zonation patterns of benthic communities in an upwelling area from the western Medierranean (La Herradura, Alboran Sea)

Cebrián¹,

Ballesteros²

2004

Sci. Mar.

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Species composition and distribution of marine benthic communities from La Herradura (Alboran Sea, western Mediterranean) are described to characterise its rocky and sedimentary bottoms bionomically. Rocky bottoms were studied by means of several underwater transects and soft bottoms with fixed stations along a bathymetric gradient. The study of the floristic and faunistic composition of the rocky benthic communities highlights depth as the main axis of variation. Factorial Correspondence Analysis segregates deep-water communities below 25 m depth (circalittoral communities) from shallower communities (axis I), and communities thriving between 5 and 25 m depth (lower infralittoral communities) from communities thriving close to the surface (shallow infralittoral communities) (axis II). The study of the sedimentary bottoms also suggests that depth, together with physical sedimentary properties, is the main axis of variation in species distribution. Floristic and faunistic records show the particular composition of La Herradura benthic communities, compared to Mediterranean and Atlantic ones. Mixing of Mediterranean and Atlantic waters, together with deep water upwelling episodes typical of this area, probably determine the peculiar composition of the benthic communities.Key words: zonation patterns, benthic communities, rocky and sedimentary bottoms, species distribution, Alboran Sea. RESUMEN: PATRONES DE ZONACIÓN EN LAS COMUNIDADES BENTÓNICAS UNA ZONA DE AFLORAMIENTO DEL MEDITERRÁNEO OCCIDENTAL (LA HERRADURA, MAR DE ALBORÁN). -Se describen la composición y distribución de las comunidades bentó-nicas de La Herradura (Mar de Alborán, Mediterráneo Occidental) con el fin de caracterizar bionómicamente sus fondos rocosos y sedimentarios. Los fondos rocosos se estudiaron mediante transectos submarinos y los fondos sedimentarios mediante el muestreo de puntos fijos a lo largo de un gradiente batimétrico. La composición florística y faunística permite discernir la profundidad como eje de variación principal en los fondos rocosos. Tras aplicar un análisis factorial de correspondencias a los inventarios efectuados se observa que el primer eje segrega las comunidades situadas por debajo de los 25 metros (comunidades circalitorales) de las más superficiales (comunidades infralitorales), mientras que el segundo eje principal separa las comunidades situadas entre 5 y 25 metros (comunidades de la zona infralitoral inferior) de las situadas por encima de los 5 metros de profundidad (comunidades de la zona infralitoral superior). El estudio del fondo sedimentario refleja también la profundidad como factor predominante en la composición de las comunidades y, asociado a él, el tipo de sedimento encontrado. Todos los inventarios evidencian también la particular composición de los fondos estudiados, muy distinta a la del resto del Mediterráneo y diferente también a la del vecino Atlántico. La mezcla de aguas atlánticas y mediterráneas junto a los episodios de afloramiento de aguas profundas propios de esta zona son probabl...

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“…The red coral is also of great biological importance for the large number of sponges (MELONE, 1965;BARLETTA & VIGHI, 1968;CORRIERO et al, 1997;MALDONADO, 1992;BAVESTRELLO et al, 1999;CALCINAI et al, 2000), crustaceans (ZARIQUIEY ALVAREZ, 1968;GARCIA-RASO, 1989;MANCO-NI & MORI, 1992, brachiopods (TEMPLADO & LUQUE, 1986;RUGGIERO-TADDEI, 1990), molluscs (SALAS & SERRA, 1986;PEÑAS et al, 2006) and echinoderms (PEREZ-RUZAFA & LOPEZ-IBOR, 1986) that show a tendency to live on or to form strict associations with it. Even so, except for the sponges, which are well studied because of their ability to damage and thus reduce the commercial value of red coral as well as being the main causes of natural mortality (BARLETTA & VIGHI, 1968;CORRIERO et al, 1997), only the papers above and a few others have been written about these biological relationships so far, and only TEMPLA- DO et al (1986), more than 20 years ago, have given a global vision of the invertebrate fauna found on rocky bottoms in association with C. rubrum colonies.…”

Section: Molluscs Associated With a Sardinian Deep Water Population Omentioning

confidence: 99%

Molluscs associated with a Sardinian deep water population of Corallium rubrum (Linnι, 1758)

Crocetta

Spanu²

2008

Medit. Mar. Sci.

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Molluscan species living in association with Corallium rubrumcolonies are poorly known. Specimensfound on the branches of red coral colonies located off Capo Caccia (Alghero – SS, West Sardinia,Mediterranean Sea) were studied by analyzing red coral branches collected at a depth of between 100 and120 m; their assemblage was made up of 44 species, all belonging to the classes Gastropoda and Bivalvia.Some data on the geographical distribution, ecology, taxonomy and dominance of these species, bothalive and dead, are given and the most interesting are commented on. Among the recorded species Triviamultilirata, Simnia purpurea, Coralliophila brevis, Ocinebrina paddeui, Pleurotomella demosia, Palliolumstriatum and Pseudamussium sulcatum deserve attention. Moreover, the second finding of livingspecimens of Asperarca secreta, described only on loose valves, is reported, and finally the prey-predatorrelationships among several gastropods and Cnidarians are confirmed.

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Demosponges of the red coral bottoms from the Alboran Sea

Cited by 40 publications

References 10 publications

New and rare sponges from the deep shelf of the Alboran Island (Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean)

New and rare sponges from the deep shelf of the Alboran Island (Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean)

Zonation patterns of benthic communities in an upwelling area from the western Medierranean (La Herradura, Alboran Sea)

Molluscs associated with a Sardinian deep water population of Corallium rubrum (Linnι, 1758)

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