Distribution of demersal crustaceans in the southern Adriatic Sea (original) (raw)

Analysis of demersal species assemblages from trawl surveys in the South Adriatic sea

1999

Two trawl surveys were carried out in the summer months (June-July) of 1996 and 1997 along the whole South Adriatic area (Mediterranean sea) for the first time, using the same vessel and the same sampling gear (European Community Research Project 'MEDITS'); previous research data referred only to the south-western Adriatic side. A total list of 168 demersal species (fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans) was obtained during the surveys; species abundance data (individuals/trawling hour) were processed according to multivariate techniques in order to describe the composition and the distribution of the main species assemblages within the investigated area (10-800-m bathymetric range). Multivariate analysis of MEDITS survey catch data showed a strong relationship between fish assemblages and depth, while the influence of depth was lower with respect to cephalopod and especially crustacean assemblage distribution. © Ifremer/Cnrs/Inra/Ird/Cemagref/Elsevier, Paris

Fauna of the Adriatic decapod crustaceans (Crustacea: Decapoda) – status and outlook

2008

Kirin~i}, M. & [tev~i}, Z.: Fauna of the Adriatic decapod crustaceans (Crustacea: Decapoda) – status and outlook. Nat. Croat., Vol. 17, No. 2., 131–139, 2008, Zagreb. The checklist of the Adriatic decapod fauna is re-examined and supplemented. Several new species for the area are included in the list, new immigrants are noted and some species excluded. The species names are updated and their status and prospects commented on.

Decapod crustacean assemblages off the West coast of central Italy (western Mediterranean

Community structure and faunal composition of decapod crustaceans off the west coast of central Italy (western Mediterranean) were investigated. Samples were collected during five trawl surveys carried out from June 1996 to June 2000 from 16 to 750 m depth. Multivariate analysis revealed the occurrence of five faunistic assemblages: 1) a strictly coastal community over sandy bottoms at depths <35 m; 2) a middle shelf community over sandy-muddy bottoms at depths between 50 and 100 m; 3) a slope edge community up to 200 m depth as a transition assemblage; 4) an upper slope community at depths between 200 and 450 m, and 5) a middle slope community at depths greater than 450 m. The existence of a shelfslope edge transition is a characteristic of the western and central Mediterranean where a Leptometra phalangium facies is found in many areas at depths between 120 and 180 m. The brachyuran crab Liocarcinus depurator dominates the shallow muddy-sandy bottoms of the shelf, while Parapenaeus longirostris is the most abundant species from the shelf to the upper slope assemblage. The dominant species on the middle slope are mainly nektobenthic (Aristeus antennatus, Aristaeomorpha foliacea, Plesionika martia), bentho-pelagic (Pasiphaea sivado) and benthic species (Nephrops norvegicus). The average diversity of the five assemblages defined increased with depth and the highest diversity values were found in the slope assemblages. Depth is the main factor influencing decapod assemblage composition, but sediment type and dissolved organic matter seem to be secondary structuring factors particularly in the shelf zone. RESUMEN: ASOCIACIONES DE CRUSTÁCEOS DECÁPODOS EN LA COSTA OESTE DE ITALIA CENTRAL (MEDITERRÁNEO OCCIDENTAL.

Decapod crustaceans associated with an artificial reef (Adriatic Sea)

Mediterranean Marine Science, 2013

The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge on the distribution of decapod crustaceans associated with an artificial reef positioned on sandy-mud bottoms in the central Adriatic Sea. The reef is constituted of concrete modules assembled in pyramids and concrete poles. Hard and soft bottom samples were collected from 2001, just after reef construction, to 2005 (4 surveys per year). Regarding the soft seabed, three sites close to a pyramid, three inside the reef area at a distance of 10-15 m from the structures, and three 200 m outside the reef (control sites) were randomly sampled during each survey. At the same time, three pyramids (vertical and horizontal walls) and three poles were also investigated. After taxonomical analysis, decapod crustaceans were analysed using abundance and species richness. Sites and years were compared using a balanced, fixed effect, 2-way ANOVA and PERMANOVA. In addition, SIMPER analysis was performed to identify those species typifying each commu...

Deep-sea decapod crustaceans in the western and central Mediterranean Sea: preliminary aspects of species distribution, biomass and population structure

Scientia Marina, 2004

Three deep-sea areas in the Mediterranean Sea were sampled using a bottom otter trawl during the DESEAS oceanographic survey carried out from early June to early July 2001, covering an area in the western Mediterranean from 600 to 2800 m in depth and two areas in the central Mediterranean, the western and eastern Ionian Sea from 600 to 4000 m in depth. Decapod crustaceans were one of the dominant megafaunal groups, together with fishes, in terms of both biomass and abundance. A total of 2799 decapod specimens belonging to 32 species were collected. Abundance and biomass of the decapod crustaceans decreased with depth. For depths below 1000 m, a decrease in total decapod biomass was recorded from west to east. From the data reported in this study and data from the available literature, decapod crustaceans display differential depth distributions in the different areas. For the most abundant species, size and sex distributions versus depth gradient were examined to compare intraspecific population structures between the sampling areas. Despite differences, among areas, in the species' biomass compositions by depth strata and differences in their overall bathymetric ranges of distribution, intraspecific population structures of the most abundant species seem to follow similar trends for size and sex distribution versus depth gradient between the western and central areas. This might be an indication that the individual species structure their populations according to a similar basic pattern regardless of differences in local environmental features. The results have been discussed in the general context of the environmental features encountered by the species in each of the sampling areas.

Spatial distribution of Decapoda in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) based on a trawl survey

Crustaceana, 2013

The spatial representation of decapod crustaceans (Crustacea, Malacostraca) of the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) is presented for the first time, together with comments on their vertical and horizontal distributions. The most relevant trawlable species were analysed using quantitative data gathered in 260 daylight lasting hauls, which covered a large portion (about 100 000 km2) of the investigated area. The index of local abundance, standardized to 1 km2, both in weight (Biomass Index), number (Density Index) and mean body weight were obtained for each species and for all species combined. A spatial representation of the Density Index was produced for all decapod crustaceans combined and for the most frequent species. In particular, the indices were transferred under a GIS system and spatial maps produced by applying the program ArcView™ 9.0. Different interpolators were tested and the most exact interpolator (IDW Inverse Distance Weighting) was chosen. Both historica...

Long-term changes in demersal resources of the Adriatic Sea: comparison between trawl surveys carried out in 1948 and 1998

Fisheries Research, 2001

Trawl surveys carried out in the Adriatic Sea in 1948 and 1998 provided information on the changes that occurred in the composition and distribution of demersal ®sh resources over the 50 years period. The main change was the decrease of elasmobranchs diversity and frequency, mostly referring to the Hypotremata group. Life history parameters appeared to be determining factors, since small sized species such as the smallspotted catshark (S. canicula) or the brown ray (R. miraletus) were frequently collected in both surveys, while bigger shark species and most other rays disappeared or were rarely found during the 1998 survey. Regarding bony ®shes, common species were collected with similar frequency in both surveys; some ®shery target species (e.g. the hake) have similar percentage values (biomass) in both surveys, while others (the silver scabbard®sh) have increased values, and some (mainly small sized species such as red mullet) replace elasmobranchs at the top of the catches. Despite the low number of observations (two surveys only) and some sampling differences, the data provide an interesting long-term comparison.