scholarly journals Malacofauna from soft bottoms in the Cerro Gordo marine cave (Alboran Sea): biodiversity and spatial distribution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
LIDIA PINO de la TORRE ◽  
CARLOS NAVARRO-BARRANCO ◽  
SERGE GOFAS
Keyword(s):  
Horizontal Gradient ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Cave Sediments ◽  
Living Species ◽  
Molluscan Fauna ◽  
Soft Bottoms ◽  
Submarine Cave ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
First Time ◽  
Alborán Sea

The molluscan fauna of Cerro Gordo submarine cave, in the Spanish part of the Alboran Sea, is studied for the first time. The cave bottom spans from 16 m deep at its entrance to the sea level at its innermost section. Replicate soft bottom samples were collected from three different stations, along the horizontal gradient of the cave. Additional samples were collected on photophilous hard bottoms next to the cave entrance, in order to assess the origin of cave bioclasts. The cave sediments contained 158 species of molluscs (23 collected alive and 155 recorded only as shells), more than in Mediterranean cave sediments elsewhere. Species richness and abundance of molluscs decreased from the outermost to the innermost part of the cave. No cave-exclusive species were found, possibly due to the scarcity of caves in the Alboran Sea, but many of the recorded species are known from other Mediterranean caves. The lack of adult individuals for most of the living species inside the cave suggests that these do not constitute self-maintaining populations. Finally, our results suggest that bioclasts found in the sediment do not derive from the outside of the cave nor from the sediment itself, but mostly from the communities inhabiting the walls and ceiling of the cave.

scholarly journals Contrasting molluscan fauna collected with beam trawl and otter trawl in circalittoral and bathyal soft bottoms of the northern Alboran Sea

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moya-Urbano Elena ◽  
Ciércoles Cristina ◽  
Gonzalez Maria ◽  
Gallardo-Núñez Marina ◽  
Ordines Francesc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Otter Trawl ◽  
Beam Trawl ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Molluscan Fauna ◽  
Soft Bottoms ◽  
Alborán Sea

scholarly journals Molluscs collected with otter trawl in the northern Alboran Sea: main assemblages, spatial distribution and environmental linkage

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
CRISTINA CIÉRCOLES ◽  
CRISTINA GARCÍA-RUIZ ◽  
MARIA GONZÁLEZ AGUILAR ◽  
JOSÉ M. ORTIZ DE URBINA GUTIERREZ ◽  
NIEVES MARIA LÓPEZ-GONZÁLEZ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Otter Trawl ◽  
Octopus Vulgaris ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Benthic Species ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
Life Styles ◽  
Soft Bottoms ◽  
Demersal Species ◽  
Alborán Sea ◽  
Upper Slope

Molluscan assemblages of circalittoral and bathyal soft bottoms of the northern Alboran Sea were studied using an experimental otter trawl. Samples of fauna were collected from 190 hauls during four MEDITS surveys carried out in spring between 2012 and 2015 at depths ranging from 30 to 800 m. Measurements of water column variables (temperature and salinity) and sediment samples were taken in the same locations where faunistic sampling was carried out. A total of 101 species grouped in 55 families were recorded. Cephalopods were the most abundant group, with Abralia veranyi dominating in abundance, Octopus vulgaris in biomass and Illex coindetii and Todarodes sagittatus being the most frequently collected species. Multivariate analyses carried out separately with abundance data of demersal species, benthic species, bivalves, gastropods and cephalopods as well as of all molluscs, generally resulted in three main molluscan assemblages corresponding to a shelf assemblage (30-200 m depth), an upper slope assemblage (201-350 m depth), and a middle slope assemblage (351-800 m depth). PERMANOVA test revealed that significant differences of different groups of molluscs in relation to depth were more acute than to geographical sectors of the Alboran Sea (eastern, central, eastern and insular sectors). Abundance, biomass and species richness decreased with depth with a clear dominance of cephalopods in the slope. Significant geographical differences were mainly detected for demersal and benthic species as well as for gastropods and cephalopods between the insular sector (Alboran Island) and the western and eastern continental sectors. Both depth and temperature were the most influencing variables in the different CCA analyses using datasets of molluscs with different life styles and from different classes, but sedimentological variables displayed a more acute significant relationship with the benthic molluscs than with the demersal ones.

scholarly journals Preliminary characterization of echinoderm assemblages in circalittoral and bathyal soft bottoms of the northern Alboran Sea

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moya-Urbano Elena ◽  
Moya Francina ◽  
Mateo-Ramírez Ángel ◽  
Gallardo-Núñez Marina ◽  
Ordines Francesc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Preliminary Characterization ◽  
Soft Bottoms ◽  
Alborán Sea

scholarly journals Fibrocapsa japonica (Raphidophyceae) occurrence and ecological features within the phytoplankton assemblage of a cyclonic eddy, offshore the Eastern Alboran Sea.

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 250 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. FANI ◽  
C. NUCCIO ◽  
L. LAZZARA ◽  
L. MASSI ◽  
C. BATTOCCHI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cyst Formation ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Cyclonic Eddy ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Phytoplankton Assemblages ◽  
Ecological Features ◽  
Coastal Species ◽  
Fibrocapsa Japonica ◽  
First Time ◽  
Alborán Sea

The Raphidophycean Fibrocapsa japonica Toriumi & Takano was detected for the first time offshore in the Eastern Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean) in October 2006. Its distribution appeared very localised and atypical, as it was abundant only in the open waters of a cyclonic eddy. Microscope counts of the natural phytoplankton assemblages revealed that F. japonica was dominant in the microplankton, together with Dinophyceae, within and below the cyclonic nutrient-rich dome (25 - 30 m). Bacillariophyceae were the primary microplanktonic fraction in only a few samples. Moderately high abundances of F. japonica (maximum of 60 cells ml-1), with preliminary cysts and many cells aggregated in mucous nets, indicated a senescent phase. We also suggest a Mediterranean origin for this species. This was confirmed by molecular identification and by a water temperature of 15 °C, which could have favoured pre-cyst formation. Finally, we hypothesise that F. japonica, which is generally a coastal species, could have a coastal origin. Since F. japonica was confined to the cyclonic waters, which typically derive from coastal waters, it was collected at a depth of 40-60 m at the coastal sites and it is generally a coastal species, we hypothesise that it could have a coastal origin and it was entrapped by the cyclonic eddy, which could have carried offshore this harmful species.

Sublittoral soft bottom assemblages within a Marine Protected Area of the northern Alboran Sea

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 871-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Marina ◽  
José L. Rueda ◽  
Javier Urra ◽  
Carmen Salas ◽  
Serge Gofas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Fine Sand ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Faunal Assemblages ◽  
Soft Bottoms ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Alborán Sea

The composition and structure of sublittoral faunal assemblages inhabiting soft bottoms (15–72 m depth) within the Marine Protected Area ‘Acantilados y Fondos Marinos de Calahonda-Castell de Ferro’ in southern Spain (North Alboran Sea, Mediterranean) have been studied in relation to sediment and water column variables. Three assemblages were identified and corresponded to mixed bottom, unstable bottom and coastal detritic bottom assemblages, based on Pérès & Picard's (1964) benthic classification. A total of 14,318 individuals were collected and 218 species identified, molluscs being the best represented group (141 species). Species richness displayed significant differences with depth and transect, with the highest values observed in the medium to very fine sand and muddy bottoms with bioclasts located at the shallowest sampling stations. The presence of some rare and poorly known invertebrates that are scarce in other areas of the Mediterranean Sea is remarkable, such as the crustacean decapods Bythocaris cosmetops and Pagurus mbizi, Atlantic species with no records in the Mediterranean Sea, and the bathyal molluscs Poromya granulata and Alvania testae, collected at shallow depths. The spatial distribution of faunal assemblages was mainly related to depth and percentage of gravel and clay according to the canonical correspondence analysis. The geographic location of the area, the heterogeneity of soft bottoms and the presence of upwellings in the area may favour the high biodiversity found in the studied soft bottoms. This study increases the scarce knowledge of the circalittoral fauna of sedimentary habitats of the Alboran Sea, providing a baseline for the management of this interesting SCI and for the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Planktotrophic Columbellidae (Gastropoda) in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, with description of a new species in the genus Mitrella

2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-168
Author(s):  
Serge Gofas ◽  
Ángel Luque ◽  
Javier Urra
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Larval Development ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Eastern Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Ca 50 ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
First Time ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Alborán Sea

Few of the ca 50 species of Columbellidae found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean have planktotrophic larval development denoted by a multispiral protoconch. One species of the genus Mitrella, ranging from the mid-Atlantic seamounts to the Alboran Sea, is here described as new to science and the geographic and bathymetric distributions of another three species, Amphissa acutecostata (Philippi, 1844), Mitrella canariensis (d'Orbigny, 1840) and M. nitidulina (Locard, 1897) are updated. The name Mitrella canariensis is shown to have precedence over M. pallaryi (Dautzenberg, 1927). Mitrella nitidulina is absent in the Mediterranean Sea, and A. acutecostata, the only amphiatlantic species, is recorded for the first time as living in the Alboran Sea. There is a definite differentiation in the bathymetrical range of these species, with M. canariensis being the shallowest and M. nitidulina being the deepest.

Redescription of the zooxanthellate Eudendrium moulouyensis (Eudendriidae: Hydrozoa) from the Mediterranean Sea

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (8) ◽  
pp. 1655-1662 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. De Vito ◽  
F. Boero ◽  
C.G. Di Camillo ◽  
C. Megina ◽  
S. Piraino
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Original Description ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Full Life Cycle ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
First Time ◽  
Alborán Sea

Eudendrium moulouyensis is a zooxanthellate hydroid originally described from the Chafarinas Islands (Alboran Sea, south-western Mediterranean) in summer 1991. According to the original description, this species can be identified due to the occurrence of symbiotic zooxanthellae in the entire endodermal layer of the colony (gastrodermis and tentacle endodermis), a unique feature among the Mediterranean Eudendrium species. However, several aspects of its life cycle and the extent of its phenotypical variability are still unknown. Since winter 2004, colonies of E. moulouyensis were recorded throughout the year from 0.5 m to 30 m depth from the southern Adriatic Sea (Otranto Channel) and the Gibraltar Strait (Alboran Sea). Additional specimens were collected from the northern Adriatic (Vis, Croatia), Sicily Channel (Pantelleria and Lampedusa Islands), and western Sardinia (Costa Paradiso). These findings offered the opportunity to describe for the first time the full life cycle and to elucidate several biological aspects related to phenotypical variation of colony morphology, vertical zonation, seasonality, zooxanthellae–polyp relationship, and cnidome morphology and distribution. The number and morphology of male gonophores per reproductive polyp is described here for the first time, providing a useful taxonomic character to easily discriminate Myrionema amboinense from E. moulouyensis. From the available information, the occurrence of M. amboinense in the Mediterranean Sea should be regarded as doubtful, if they are not accompanied by observations of cnidome, male gonophores or distinctly separate tentacles whorls.

scholarly journals Types and Distribution of Bioactive Polyunsaturated Aldehydes in a Gradient from Mesotrophic to Oligotrophic Waters in the Alborán Sea (Western Mediterranean)

Marine Drugs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Bartual ◽  
María Hernanz-Torrijos ◽  
Iria Sala ◽  
María J. Ortega ◽  
Cristina González-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physiological State ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Chemical Defenses ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Daily Fluctuation ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Polyunsaturated Aldehydes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Alborán Sea

Polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs) are bioactive molecules suggested as chemical defenses and infochemicals. In marine coastal habitats, diatoms reach high PUA production levels during bloom episodes. Two fractions of PUA can usually be analyzed: pPUA obtained via artificial breakage of collected phytoplankton cells and dissolved PUA already released to the environment (dPUA). In nature, resource supply arises as a main environmental controlling factor of PUA production. In this work, we monitored the vertical distribution and daily variation of pPUA associated with large-size phytoplankton and dPUA, at three sites located in the Alborán Sea from mesotrophic to oligotrophic waters. The results corroborate the presence of large-size PUA producers in oligotrophic and mesotrophic waters with a significant (58%–85%) diatom biomass. In addition to diatoms, significant correlations between pPUA production and dinoflagellate and silicoflagellate abundance were observed. 2E,4E/Z-Heptadienal was the most abundant aldehyde at the three sites with higher values (17.1 fg·cell−1) at the most oligotrophic site. 2E,4E/Z-Decadienal was the least abundant aldehyde, decreasing toward the oligotrophic site. For the first time, we describe the daily fluctuation of pPUA attributable to cellular physiological state and not exclusively to taxonomical composition. Our results demonstrate the persistence of threshold levels of dPUA deep in the water column, as well as the different chromatographic profiles of dPUA compared with pPUA. We propose different isomerization processes that alter the chemical structure of the released PUAs with unknown effects on their stability, biological function, and potential bioactivity.

Biodiversity and spatio-temporal changes of benthic and demersal assemblages of circalittoral soft bottoms of the Bay of Málaga (northern Alboran Sea)

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (8) ◽  
pp. 1709-1720
Author(s):  
Elena Moya-Urbano ◽  
Javier Urra ◽  
Pablo Marina ◽  
Marina Gallardo-núñez ◽  
J. Enrique García Raso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Community ◽  
Coarse Sand ◽  
Otter Trawl ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Ecological Features ◽  
Sediment Types ◽  
Commercial Species ◽  
Soft Bottoms ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Alborán Sea

AbstractThe Bay of Málaga is located in a high biodiversity and productivity area that harbours a wide variety of commercial species exploited by different fishing fleets. Benthic and demersal fauna from circalittoral soft bottoms have been studied using a benthic dredge (BD) (8 sampling stations) and an otter trawl (OT) (8 sampling stations on a seasonal basis). Some sediment and water column variables, as well as the trawling activity, have also been studied and used for analysing their linkage with the fauna. A total of 287 species have been found in these bottoms and fish, molluscs and crustaceans represented the most diverse and abundant faunistic groups. A new record of the decapod Hippolyte leptometrae for Spanish waters is also included in this study. Some multivariate analyses using BD samples indicated the presence of three assemblages, but these seem to represent different facies of a single benthic community due to the absence of acute sediment changes and significant differences in the fauna. OT samples only displayed differences related to seasons but not to sediment types or depth. These seasonal differences seem to be linked to biological and ecological features of both dominant and/or commercial species. Mud and organic matter contents (%OM) in sediment, as well as the temperature, were the main variables linked to the spatial distribution of the benthic community identified with BD, whereas medium and coarse sand as well as gravel contents were the main variables linked to the changes of the epibenthic and demersal assemblage resulting from OT samples. The information of this study is of importance for improving the knowledge on the biodiversity of circalittoral soft bottoms of the Mediterranean and Alboran Sea as well as for the potential creation of a Marine Fisheries Reserve in the Bay of Málaga.

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