Published April 4, 2022
| Version v1
Publication
Community structure of caprellids (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) on seagrasses from southern Spain
Description
The community structure of caprellids inhabiting
two species of seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa and Zostera
marina) was investigated on the Andalusian coast, southern
Spain, using uni and multivariate analyses. Three meadows
were selected (Almería, AL; Málaga, MA; Cádiz, CA), and
changes in seagrass cover and biomass were measured from
2004 to 2005. Four caprellid species were found; the density of Caprella acanthifera, Phtisica marina and Pseudoprotella phasma was correlated to seagrass biomass. No
such correlation was found for Pariambus typicus, probably
because this species inhabits sediments and does not cling
to the seagrass leaves. We recorded a signiWcant decrease in
seagrass cover and biomass in MA due to illegal bottom
trawling Wsheries. Phtisica marina and P. typicus were
favoured by this perturbation and increased their densities
after the trawling activities. A survey of reports on caprellids in seagrass meadows around the world showed no clear
latitudinal patterns in caprellid densities (ranging from 6 to
1,000 ind/m2
per meadow) and species diversity. While
caprellid abundances in seagrass meadows are often very
high, the number of species per meadow is low (range 1–5).
Abstract
Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España y fondos FEDER de la Unión Europea. CGL2007-60044/BOSAbstract
Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía. P07-RNM-02524Additional details
Identifiers
- URL
- https://idus.us.es/handle//11441/131705
- URN
- urn:oai:idus.us.es:11441/131705