Decapod crustacean assemblages from littoral bottoms of the Alborán Sea (Spain, west Mediterranean Sea): spatial and temporal variability

José Enrique García Muñoz; María Eugenia Manjón-Cabeza; José Enrique García Raso

doi:10.3989/scimar.2008.72n3437

Authors

José Enrique García Muñoz
María Eugenia Manjón-Cabeza
José Enrique García Raso Dept. Biología Animal, Fac. Ciencias, Univ. Málaga

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.2008.72n3437

Keywords:

Crustacea Decapoda, biodiversity, structure of assemblages, spatial distributions and relationships, Alborán, Mediterranean

Abstract

The structure of decapod crustacean assemblages living in shallow waters (5 to 25 m depth) in an area of the Alborán Sea (Mediterranean Sea) neighbouring the Strait of Gibraltar was studied. The relatively high richness found in this area is probably due to the diversity of substrata and the confluence of Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. The most abundant species was the hermit crab Diogenes pugilator due to the prevalence of sandy substrate, the shallow depth-range, and the species’ life history. The coralligenous bottom showed the highest species richness and diversity values due to the complexity of microhabitats in this type of bottom and probably due to the food flux associated with currents. Conversely, shallow, well calibrated, fine to medium sandy bottoms of 5 m had the lowest values and the maximum densities due to the high abundance of a few well adapted species. The analysis of the different stations showed significant spatial differences according to depth and sedimentary characteristics. Depth is the environmental variable that correlates best with the decapod assemblages, with a particularly significant boundary between 5 m and 15 m. Nevertheless, there was a continuous transition between the assemblages. These results evidence the importance of quantitative studies in differentiating decapod assemblages. Relationships between these assemblages should also be taken into account in coastal management, since altering a substrate could have repercussions for the structure of the communities of neighbouring substrates. No seasonal significant differences were found in the overall analysis of the area, but there were differences between spring and autumn and spring and summer in relation to depth and substrate (crossed analysis). Finally, we present the species which allow us to discriminate the different assemblages according to sediment and depth, as well as the species’ contributions.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abad, E., I. Preciado, A. Serrano and G. Baro. – 2007. Demersal and epibenthic assemblages of trawlable grounds in the northern Alboran Sea (western Mediterranean). Sci. Mar., 71(3): 513-524.

Abelló, P., A. Carbonell and P. Torres. – 2002. Biogeography of epibenthic crustaceans on the shelf and upper slope off the Iberian Peninsula Mediterranean coasts: implications for the establishment of natural management areas. Sci. Mar., 66(Suppl. 2): 183-198.

Ballesteros, E. – 2006. Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages: a synthesis of present knowledge. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Annu. Rev., 44: 123-195.

Bellan-Santini, D., L. Bigot, M. Bourcier, H. Massé, J. Picard, C. Poizat and M.L. Roman. - 1994. II Les substrats meubles. (Bourcier M. Biocénoses Circalitorales. p 62). In: D. Bellan- Santini, J.C. Lacaze and C. Poizat (eds.), Les biocénoses marines et littorales de Méditerranée. Synthèses, menaces et perspectives. Collection Patrimoines naturels, volume 19, pp. 51- 76. Secrétariat de la faune et de la flore / MNHN, Paris.

Bellon, L. – 1921. Contribución al estudios de la flora algológica del Mediterráneo español. Bol. Pescas, 58: 81-119.

Briggs, J.C. – 1974. Marine Zoogeography. McGraw-Hill, New York.

Camiñas, J. – 1983. Datos preliminares sobre la biomasa zooplanctónica en el sector noroccidental del Mar de Alborán. Bol. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr., 1(1): 1-18.

Cano, N. – 1977. Resultados de la Campaña “Alborán 73”. Bol. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr., 230: 103-176.

Cano, N. – 1978. Resultados de la Campaña “Alborán 76”. Bol. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr., 247: 3-50.

Cartes J.E., P. Abelló and P. Torres. – 2000. The occurrence of Hymenopenaeus debilis (Decapoda: Aristeidae: Solenocerinae) in the Mediterranean waters: a case of pseudopopulations of Atlantic origin? J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K., 80: 549-550. doi:10.1017/S0025315400002277

Clarke, K. and R. Warwick. – 1994. Change in marine communities: An approach to statistical analysis and interpretation. Natural Environment Research Council, Plymouth, U. K., 1- 150.

Conde, F. and J.A. Seoane. – 1982. Corología de las especies de algas en relación con ciertos factores ecológicos en el litoral malagueño. Collectanea Bot., 13(2): 783-802.

Delgado, M. – 1990. Phytoplankton distribution along the Spanish coast of the Alboran Sea. Sci. Mar., 54(2): 169-178.

Dewarumez, J.M. and D. Davoult. – 1997. Les biocénoses subtidales macrobenthiques en Manche orientale et Mer du Nord. In: J.C.

Dauvin, (ed.), Les biocénoses marines et littorales françaises des côtes Atlantique, Manche et Mer du Nord. Synthèse, menaces et perspectives, pp. 79-82. Laboratoire de Biologie des Invertébrés Marins et Malacologie - Service du Patrimoine naturel / IEGB / MNHN, Paris.

Ekman, S. – 1953. Zoogeography of the Sea. Sidgwick and Jackson, London.

Flores Moya, A. – 1989. Estudio biogeográfico del macrofitobentos de la Punta de Calaburras (Mijas Costa, Málaga). Influencia de la luz y la temperatura en la desaparición estival de Laurencia pinnatifida (Huds.) Lamour (Rhodomelacea, Rhodophyta). Tesina de Licenciatura. Univ. Málaga.

Forest, J. – 1961. Pagurides de l’Afrique occidentale. Atlantide Rep., 203-250.

Gaertner J.-C., J.A. Bertrand, L. Gil de Sola, J-P. Durbec, E. Ferrandis and A. Souplet. – 2005. Large spatial scale variation of demersal fish assemblage structure on the continental shelf of the NW Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 297: 245-257. doi:10.3354/meps297245

García Raso, J.E. – 1981. Crustáceos Decápodos del litoral de Málaga (región sur-mediterránea española). Familia Pandalidae Hawort 1825. Trab. Monogr. Dep. Zool., Univ. Granada, 4(3): 83-92.

García Raso, J.E. – 1982a. Penaeidea y Caridea de las costas de Málaga (región sur-mediterránea española). Graellsia, 38 85-115.

García Raso, J.E. – 1982b. Familia Scyllaridae Latreille, 1825 (Crustacea, Decapoda) en la región sur-mediterránea española. Bol. Asoc. Esp. Entomol., 6(1): 73-78.

García Raso, J.E. – 1982c. Contribución al estudio de los Pagúridos (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) en el litoral sudmediterráneo español. Inv. Pesq., 46(3): 493-508.

García Raso J. E. – 1984. Brachyura of the coast of Southern Spain. Spixiana, 7 (2): 105-113.

García Raso, J.E. – 1987. Contribución al conocimiento de los Crustáceos Decápodos de los fondos blandos del sur de España. Graellsia, 43: 153-169.

García Raso, J.E. – 1990.- Study of a Crustacea Decapoda Taxocoenosis of Posidonia beds from the Southeast of Spain. Mar. Ecol. PSZN, 11(4): 309-326.

García Raso, J.E. – 1993. New record of other African species of Crustacea Decapoda, Cycloes cristata (Brulle), from European and Mediterranean waters. Bios, 1(1): 215-221.

García Raso, J.E., S. Gofas, C. Salas, M.E. Manjón-Cabeza, J. Urra and J.E. García Muñoz. – 2006b. Estudio de la biodiversidad (macrofauna) y caracterización de las comunidades marinas del litoral occidental de Málaga (Punta de Calaburras y Cabo Pino), pp. 1- 154. Informe para la Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Junta de Andalucía.

García Raso, J.E., E. González-Gurriarán and F. Sardá. – 1987. Estudio comparativo de la fauna de crustáceos decápodos braquiuros de tres áreas de la Península Ibérica (Galicia, Málaga, Cataluña). Inv. Pesq., 51(supl.1): 43-55.

García Raso, J.E., I. López De La Rosa and J.M. Rosales. – 1996. Decapod crustacean communities from calcareous seaweed and Posidonia oceanica (rhizomes stratum) in shallow waters. Ophelia, 45(2): 143-158.

García Raso, J.E., A.A. Luque, J. Templado, C. Salas, E. Hergueta, D. Moreno y M. Calvo. – 1992. Fauna y flora marinas del Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata - Níjar. Agencia de Medio Ambiente (Junta de Andalucía), Madrid.

García Raso, J.E. and M.E. Manjón-Cabeza. – 2002a. A new record of Galathea capillata for Europe and Spain and notes on Philocheras bispinosus (Decapoda). Crustaceana, 75: 383-393. doi:10.1163/156854002760095453

García Raso, J.E. and M.E Manjón-Cabeza. – 2002b. An infralittoral decapod crustacean community of southern Spain affected by anthropogenic disturbances. J. Crust. Biol., 22(1): 83-90. doi:10.1651/0278-0372(2002)022[0083:AIDCCO]2.0.CO;2

García Raso, J.E., M.J. Martín, V. Díaz, V. Cobos and Manjón-Cabeza. – 2006a. Diel and seasonal changes in the structure of a Decapod (Crustacea: Decapoda) community of Cymodocea nodosa from Southeastern Spain (West Mediterranean Sea). Hydrobiologia, 557: 59-68. doi:10.1007/s10750-005-1308-9

García Raso, J.E. and C. Salas Casanova. – 1985. New record of the species Processa macrodactyla Holthuis, 1952 (Decapoda, Caridea) from Spanish waters. Crustaceana, 49(1): 88-91. doi:10.1163/156854085X00242

Gofas, S. – 1999. Marine molluscs with a very small range in the Strait of Gibraltar. Diversity Distrib., 4: 255-266.

Gray, J. S. and T.H. Pearson. – 1982. Objective selection of sensitive species indicative of pollution-induced change in benthic communities. I. Comparative methodology. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 9: 111-119. doi:10.3354/meps009111

Greze, V.N., A.V. Covalev, E.P. Baldina, O.K. Bileva and A.A. Shmemeva. – 1985. Zooplankton transfer through the Gibraltar Strait and peculiarities of its taxonomic composition and distribution in adjacent areas. Inv. Pesq., 49: 3-13.

Guille, A. – 1970. Bionomie benthique du plateau continental de la côte catalane française. II. Les communautés de la macrofaune. Vie Milieu, 21(1B) : 149-280.

Guille, A. – 1971. Bionomie benthique du plateau continental de la côte catalane française. IV. Densités, biomasses et variation saisonnières de la macrofaune. Vie Milieu, 22(1B): 93-158.

Harmelin J.-G. – 1994. Les peuplements des substrats durs circalittoraux. (Le coraligène, pp 119-121). In: D. Bellan-Santini, J.C. Lacaze and C. Poizat (eds.), Les biocénoses marines et littorales de Méditerranée. Synthèses, menaces et perspectives. Collection Patrimoines naturels, volume 19, pp. 118-126. Secrétariat de la faune et de la flore / MNHN, Paris.

Krebs, C.J. – 1989. Ecological methodology. Harper and Row Publ., New York.

Lacombe, H. and P. Tchernia. – 1972. Caractères hydrologiques et circulation des eaux en Méditerranée. In: D.J. Stanley (ed.), The Mediterranean Sea, pp. 25-36. Dowen Hutchinson and Ross, Inc. Pennsylvania.

Lanoix, F. – 1974. Projet Alborán. Etude hydrologique et dynamique de la mer d’Alboran. Teaching Report, 66, North Atlantic Treatise Organization, Brussels.

Ledoyer, M. – 1968. Ecologie de la faune vagile des biotopes méditerranéens accessibles en scaphandre autonome. IV. Synthèse de l’étude écologique. Rec. Trav. St. Mar. Endoume, 44, fasc. 60: 1-295.

López de la Rosa. I., J. E. García Raso and A. Rodríguez. – 2002. Evolution of a decapod community (Crustacea) of shallow soft bottoms with seaweeds from southern Europe. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K., 82: 85-95.

López de La Rosa, I., A. Rodríguez and J.E. García Raso. – 2006. Seasonal variation and structure of a decapod (Crustacea) community living in a Caulerpa prolifera meadow from Cadiz Bay (SW Spain). Est. Coast. Shelf Sci., 66: 624-633. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2005.11.008

Macpherson, E. and N. Raventos. – 2004. Population structure and reproduction of three sympatric species of hermit crabs in the Northwestern Mediterranean. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K., 84: 371-376. doi:10.1017/S0025315404009300h

Manjón-Cabeza, M.E. and J.E. García Raso. – 1998a. Population structure and growth of the hermit crabs Diogenes pugilator (Roux, 1829) (Decapoda: Anomura: Diogenidae) from Eastern Atlantic. J. Crust. Biol., 18(4): 753-762. doi:10.2307/1549152

Manjón-Cabeza M.E. and J.E. García Raso. – 1998b. Structure and evolution of a Decapod Crustacea community from the coastal detritic bottoms of Barbate (Cádiz, Southern Spain). J. Nat. Hist., 32: 1619-1630. doi:10.1080/00222939800771151

Manjón-Cabeza, M.E. and J.E. García Raso. – 2000a. Reproductive aspects of the females of the hermit crab Diogenes pugilator (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) from southern Spain. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K., 80: 85-93. doi:10.1017/S0025315499001599

Manjón-Cabeza, M.E. and J.E. García Raso. – 2000b. Reproductive aspects of males of the hermit crab Diogenes pugilator (Roux, 1829) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) from southern Spain. Sarsia, 85: 195-202.

Massé, H. – 1972. Quantitative investigations of sand-bottom macrofauna along the Mediterranean north-west coast. Mar. Biol., 15: 209-220. doi:10.1007/BF00383551

Millot, C. – 1987. Circulation in the western Mediterranean. Oceanol. Acta, 10, 143-149.

Millot, C. – 1999. Circulation in the Western Mediterranean Sea. J. Mar. Syst, 20: 423-442. doi:10.1016/S0924-7963(98)00078-5

Parrilla, G. and T.H. Kinder. – 1987. Oceanografía física del mar de Alborán. Bol. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr., 41(1): 133-165.

Pérès, J.M. and J. Picard. – 1964. Nouveau manuel de bionomie benthique de la Méditerranée. Rec. Trav. St. Mar. Endoume, 31, fasc. 47 : 1-137.

Pielou, E. C. – 1969. An introduction to mathematical ecology. Wiley- Interscience. New York.

Raffaelli, D. and S. Hawkins. – 1996. Intertidal Ecology. Chapman and Hall, London.

Reuschel, S. and C.D. Schubart. – 2006. Phylogeny and geographic differentiation of Atlanto-Mediterranean species of the genus Xantho (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) based on genetic and morphologic analyses. Mar. Biol., 148: 853-866. doi:10.1007/s00227-005-0095-1

Rodríguez, J. – 1983. Estudios de una comunidad zooplanctónica nerítica en el Mar de Alborán: II. Ciclo del zooplancton. Bol. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr., 1(1): 19-44.

Rubín, J.P. – 1997. Las larvas de peces mesopelágicos del mar de Alborán. Resultados de la campaña Ictio. Alborán 0793 y revisión histórica. In: J.P. Rubín (ed.), La influencia de los procesos fisicoquímicos en la composición y distribución del ictioplancton estival en el mar de Alborán y estrecho de Gibraltar, pp. 43-52. Publ. Esp. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr., 24. Madrid.

Rubín, J.P., N. Cano, V. Rodríguez, J.M. Blanco, F. Jiménez Gómez, J. Rodriguez, J. García Lafuente, F. Echevarría, F. Guerrero, J. Escámez, A. Hernández-Guerra and M. Chabani. – 1997. Relaciones del ictioplancton con la hidrología, biomasa fitoplanctónica, oxígeno disuelto y nutrientes, en el mar de Alborán y estrecho de Gibraltar (julio de 1993). In J.P. Rubín (ed.), La influencia de los procesos fisicoquímicos en la composición y distribución del ictioplancton estival en el mar de Alborán y estrecho de Gibraltar, pp. 75-84. Publ. Esp. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr., 4. Madrid.

Sanvicente-Añorve, L., A. Leprêtre and D. Davoult. – 2002. Diversity of benthic macrofauna in the eastern English Channel: comparison among and within communities. Biodiv. Conserv., 11: 265-282. doi:10.1023/A:1014583122765

Selbie, C.M. – 1921. The Decapoda Reptantia of the coasts of Ireland. Part II: Paguridea. Fish. Irel. Sci. Invest., 1-68.

Shannon C.E. and W. Weaver. – 1963. The mathematical theory of communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana.

Somaschini, A., N. Martini, M.F. Gravina, A. Belluscio, F. Corsi and D.G. Ardizzone. – 1998. Characterization and cartography of some Mediterranean soft-bottom benthic communities (Ligurian Sea, Italy). Sci. Mar., 62(1-2): 27-36.

Tintoré, J., D. Gomis, S. Alonso and G. Parrilla. – 1991. Mesoscale dynamics and vertical motion in the Alborán Sea. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 21: 811-823. doi:10.1175/1520-0485(1991)021<0811:MDAVMI>2.0.CO;2

Vives, F., G. Santamaría and I. Trepat. – 1975. El zooplancton en los alrededores del estrecho de Gibraltar, en junio-julio de 1972. Res. Exp.Cient. (Supl. Inv. Pesq.), 4: 1-100.

Zariquiey Álvarez, R. – 1968. Crustáceos Decápodos Ibéricos. Inv. Pesq., 32: 1-510.