Leiopathes glaberrima forest from south west Sardinia: a thousand years old nursery area for the small spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula.

Description

Presence of over 200 spotted catshark Scyliorinus canicula egg capsules associated with long lived black coral Leiopathes glaberrima was observed in the South West Coast of Sardinia, describing a thousand years old nursery area for Elasmobranches. The forest, composed by 153 colonies, was discovered during a ROV survey carried out in October 2011 over a rocky elevation of the sea bottom, at depths between 188 and 210 meters. The described zone represents an important component of the ecosystem that deserves special protection.

Additional details