Polychaete fauna from the intertidal zone of the Kneiss Islands (central Mediterranean Sea)


Published: Jul 13, 2017
Keywords:
Biodiversity macrobenthic fauna
N. MOSBAHI
J.C. DAUVIN
L. NEIFAR
Abstract

The spatial and temporal distribution, abundance and assemblage structure of polychaete communities in the Kneiss Islands (central Mediterranean Sea) was studied at 42 stations selected among seagrass Zostera (Zosterella) noltei Hornemann meadows and unvegetated habitats sampled from April 2014 to January 2015. The Kneiss Islands represent a site of international interest in terms of their ornithological diversity (Important Bird Area, Ramsar Site and SPAMI). A total of 18,026 individuals and 92 species of polychaetes belonging to 25 families were identified. Analysis of the trophic structure reveals that the majority of stations are strongly dominated by deposit feeders (51.2%), followed by carnivores (34.8%) and suspension feeders (14%). Polychaete diversity and abundance were higher on the vegetated stations. Four polychaete assemblages are identified using MDS analysis. The distribution of polychaete assemblages are influenced by edaphic factors, particularly sediment structure and organic matter content. Seasonal variations of the polychaete community patterns at 20 stations show a maximum abundance and diversity during spring and summer and a minimum during winter. Seasonal fluctuations follow the seasonal variations of the environmental factors such as temperature and salinity, and correspond also to the lifestyle of the dominant species.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Research Article
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Afli, A., Glémarec, M., 2000. Fluctuation àlong terme des peuplements macrobenthiques dans le golfe du Morbihan (Bretagne, France). Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 41, 67-89.
Antoniadou, C., Chintiroglou, C., 2006. Trophic relationships of polychaetes associated with different algal growth forms. Helgoland Marine Research, 60 (1), 39-49.
Arvanitidis, C., Bellan, G., Drakopoulos, P., Valavanis, V., Dounas, C. et al., 2002. Seascape biodiversity patterns along the Mediterranean and the Black Sea: lessons from the biogeography of benthic polychaetes. Marine Ecology Programme Series, 244, 139-152.
Ayari, R., Muir, A., Aissa, P., Paterson, G., Afli, A., 2009. An updated list of Polychaetous annelids from Tunisian coasts (Western Mediterranean Sea). Cahier de Biologie Marine, 50, 1-13.
Ayari, R.,Afli, A., 2008. Functional groups to establish the ecological quality of soft benthic fauna within Tunis Bay (Western Mediterranean). Vie et Milieu, 58 (1), 67-75.
Bali, M., Gueddari, M., 2011. Les chenaux de marée autour des îles de Kneiss, Tunisie: sédimentologie et évolution. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 56, 498-506.
Barnes, R.S.K., Barnes, M.K.S., 2012. Shore Height and Differentials between Macrobenthic Assemblages in Vegetated and Unvegetated Areas of an Intertidal Sandflat. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 116, 112-120.
Bellan, G., 1964. Contribution à l’étude systématique, bionomique et écologique des Annélides Polychètes de la Méditerranée. Recueil des Travaux de la Station Marine d’Endoume, 49 (33), 1-351.
Bowden, D.A., Rowden, A.A. & Martin, J.A., 2001. Effect of Patch Size and In-Patch Location on the Infaunal Macroinvertebrate Assemblages of Zostera marina Seagrass Beds. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 259, 133-154.
Bazairi, H., Bayed, A., Hily, C., 2005. Structure et bioévaluation de l’état écologique des communautés benthiques d’un écosystème lagunaire de la côte atlantique marocaine. Comptes Rendus Biologies, 328, 977-990.
Carvalho, S., Moura, A., Gaspar, M.B., Pereira, P., da Fonseca, L.C., et al., 2005. Spatial and inter-annual variability of the macrobenthic communities within a coastal lagoon (Óbidos lagoon) and its relationship with environmental parameters. Acta Oecologica, 27, 143-159.
Castelli, A., Bianchi, C.N., Cantone, G., Çinar, M.E., Gambi, M.C. et al., 2008. Annelida Polychaeta. Biologia Marina Mediterranea, 15, 323-373.
Çinar, M.E., Katagan, T., Öztürk, B., Dagli, E., Açik, S. et al., 2012. Spatio-temporal distributions of zoobenthos in Mersin Bay (Levantine Sea, eastern Mediterranean) and the importance of alien species in benthic communities. Marine Biology Research, 8, 954-968.
Carrasco, F., Carbajal, W., 1998. The Distribution of Polychaete Feeding Guilds in Organic Enriched Sediments of San Vicente Bay, Central Chile. International Review of Hydrobiology, 83, 233-249.
Cosentino, A., Giacobbe, S., 2006. A case study of mollusc and polychaete soft-bottom assemblages submitted to sedimentary instability in the Mediterranean Sea. Marine Ecology, 27, 170-183.
Dauvin, J.C., Andrade, H., de-la-Ossa-Carretero, J.A., Del-Pilar- Ruso, Y., Riera, R., 2016. Polychaete/amphipod ratios: An approach to validating simple benthic indicators. Ecological Indicators, 63, 89-99. Mediterranean Marine Science, 18/2, 2017, 215-228 225.
Dauvin, J.C., 2005. Expertise in coastal zone environmental impact assessments. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 50, 107-110.
Dauvin, J.C., Thiébaut, E., Gomez Gesteira, J.L., Ghertsos, K., Gentil, F. et al., 2004. Spatial Structure of a Subtidal Macrobenthic Community in the Bay of Veys (Western Bay of Seine, English Channel). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 307, 217-235.
D’Alessandro, M., Romeo, T., Castriota, L., Cosentino, A., Perzia, P. et al., 2016. New records of Lumbrineridae (Annelida: Polychaeta) in the Mediterranean biogeographic province, with an updated taxonomic key. Italian Journal of Zoology, 83 (2), 233-243.
Del-Pilar-Ruso, Y., de-la-Ossa-Carretero, J.A., Giménez- Casalduero, F., Sánchez-Lizaso, J.L., 2010. Sewage treatment level and flow rates affect polychaete assemblages. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 60 (11), 1930-1938.
Desroy, N., Retière, C., 2001. Long-Term Changes in Muddy Fine Sand Community of the Rance Basin: Role of Recruitment. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 81, 553-564.
Do, V.T., de Montaudouin, X., Lavesque, N., Blanchet, H., Guyard, H., 2011. Seagrass colonization: knock-on effects on zoobenthic community, populations and individual health. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 95, 458-469.
Dorgham, M.M., Hamdy, H., El-Rashidy, H.H., Atta, M.M., Musco, L., 2014. Distribution patterns of shallow water polychaetes (Annelida) along the coast of Alexandria, Egypt (eastern Mediterranean). Mediterranean Marine Science, 15 (3), 635-649.
Dorgham, M.M., Hamdy, H., El-Rashidy, H.H., Atta, M.M., 2013. First records of polychaetes new to Egyptian Mediterranean waters. Oceanologica, 55 (1), 235-267.
EL Lakhrach, H., Hattour, A., Jarboui, O., Elhasni, K., Ramos- Espla, A., 2012. Spatial distribution and abundance of the megabenthic fauna community in Gabes gulf (Tunisia, eastern Mediterranean Sea). Mediterranean Marine Science, 13 (1), 12-29.
Eckman, J.E., 1987. The role of hydrodynamics in recruitment, growth and survival of Argopecten irradians (L.) and Anomia simplex (D’Orbigny) within eelgrass meadows. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 106, 165-191.
Faulwetter, S., Chatzigeorgiou, G., Galil, B.S., Nicolaidou, A., Arvanitidis, G., 2011. Sphaerosyllis levantina sp. n. (Annelida) from the eastern Mediterranean, with notes on character variation in Sphaerosyllis hystrix Claparède, 1863. ZooKeys, 150, 327-345.
Fauvel, P., 1940. Annélides Polychètes de la Haute-Adriatique. Thalassia, Jena, 4 (1): 1-24. Fauvel, P., 1924a. Perinereis macropus (Claparède) var. canodanta, n. var. et genre Perinereis. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France, 49, 389-394.
Fauvel, P., 1924b. Sur l’Aricia foetida, Claparède et ses variétés. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France, 49, 518- 528.
Fredriksen, S., Christie, H., Saethre, B.A., 2005. Species Richness in Macroalgae and Macrofauna Assemblages on Fucus serratus L. (Phaeophyceae) and Zostera marina L. (Angiospermae) in Skagerrak, Norway. Marine Biology Research, 1, 2-19.
Gambi, M.C., Musco, L., Giangrande, A., Badalamenti, F., Micheli, F., Kroeker, K.J., 2016. Distribution and functional traits of polychaetes in a CO2 vent system: winners and losers among closely related species. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 550, 121-134.
Gerino, M., Frignani, M., Mugnai, C., Bellucci, L.G., Prevedelli, D. et al., 2007. Bioturbation in the Venice Lagoon: Rates and relationship to organisms. Acta Oecologica, 32, 14-25.
Glémarec, M., 1993. Variabilité temporelle des systèmes littoraux. Journal de Recherche Océanographique, 18, 19- 23.
Jumars, P.A., Dorgan, K.M., Lindsay, S.M., 2014. Diet of Worms Emended: An Update of Polychaete Feeding Guilds. Annual Review of Marine Science, 7, 497-520.
Kedra, M., Pabis, K., Gromisz, S., Weslawski, J.M., 2014. Distribution patterns of polychaete fauna in an Arctic fjord (Hornsund, Spitsbergen). Polar Biology, 36, 1463-1472.
Kupriyanova, E.K., Badyaev, A.V., 1998. Ecological Correlates of Arctic Serpulidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) distributions. Ophelia, 49 (3), 181-193.
Kurt-Sahin, G., Çinar, M. E., 2016. Distribution of Eunicidae Species (Annelida: Polychaeta) along the Levantine coast of Turkey with special emphasis on alien species. Marine Biodiversity, doi:10.1007/s12526-016-0483-4. by 47: 421.
Kurt-Şahin. G., Çınar, M. E., 2009. Eunicidae (Polychaeta) species in and around İskenderun Bay (Levantine Sea, Eastern Mediterranean) with a new alien species for the Mediterranean Sea and a re-description of Lysidice collaris. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 33 (3), 331-347.
Lourido, A., Cacabelos, E., Troncoso, J., 2008. Patterns of distribution of the polychaete fauna in subtidal soft sediments of the Ría de Aldán (north-western Spain). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 88 (2), 263-275.
McIntosh, W.C., 1912. Notes from the Gatty Marine Laboratory, St. Andrews. No. 33. Annals & Magazine of Natural History, 8 (10), 117-130.
Mikac, B., Musco, L., 2010. Faunal and biogeographic analysis of Syllidae (Polychaeta) from Rovinj (Croatia, northern Adriatic Sea). Scientia Marina, 74, 353-370.
Mikac, B., Musco, L., Đakovac, T., Giangrande, A., Terlizzi, A., 2011. Long-term changes in North Adriatic soft-bottom polychaete assemblages following a dystrophic crisis. Italian Journal of Zoology, 78, 304-316.
Moreira, J., Quintas, P., Troncoso, J.S., 2006. Spatial distribution of soft-bottom polychaete annelids in the Ensenada de Baiona (Ría de Vigo, Galicia, north-west Spain). Science Marine, 70 (3), 217-224.
Mosbahi, N., Pezy, J.P., Dauvin, J.C., Neifar, L., 2016. Shortterm impact of bait digging on intertidal macrofauna of tidal mudflats around the Kneiss Islands (Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia). Aquatic Living Resources, 28, 111-118.
Mosbahi, N., Boudaya, L., Dauvin, J.C., Neifar, N., 2015. Spatial Distribution and Abundance of Intertidal Benthic Macrofauna in the Kneiss Islands (Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia). Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 56, 319-328.
Musco, L., Mikac, B., Tataranni, M., Giangrande, A., Terlizzi, A., 2011. The use of coarser taxonomy in the detection of long-term changes in polychaete assemblages. Marine Environmental Research, 71, 131-138. 226 Mediterranean Marine Science, 18/2, 2017, 215-228.
Parsons, T. R., Takahashi, M., Hargrave, B., 1995. Biological Oceanographic processes. Butterworth Heinemann Ltd. Oxford, 330 p.
Prevedelli, D., Massamba Nsiala, G., Ansaloni, I., Simonini, R., 2007. Life cycle of Marphysa sanguinea (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) in the Venice Lagoon (Italy). Marine Ecology, 28 (3), 384-393.
Reiss, H., Kroncke, I., 2005. Seasonal Variability of Benthic Indices: An Approach to Test the Applicability of Different Indices for Ecosystem Quality Assessment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 50, 1490-1499.
Sammari, C., Koutitonsky, V.G., Moussa, M., 2006. Sea Level Variability and Tidal Resonance in the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia. Continental Shelf Research, 26, 338-350.
Westheide, W., 1972. La faune des Polychètes et des Archiannélides dans les plages à Ressac de la côte méditerranéenne de la Tunisie. Bulletin de l’Institut National Scientifique et Technique d’Océanographie et de Pêche de Salammbô, 2 (3), 449-466.
Zaâbi, S., Gillet, P., Afli, A., Boumaiza, M., 2012. Inventory and new records of polychaete species from the Cap Bon Peninsula, north-east coast of Tunisia, Western Mediterranean Sea. Mediteranean Marine Science, 13 (1), 36-48.
Zaâbi, S., Gillet, P., Afli, A., Boumaiza, M., 2010. Structure and diversity of polychaetous annelids population along the eastern coast of the Cap Bon Peninsula (north-east coast of Tunisia, western Mediterranean). Marine Biodiversity Records, 3 (100), 1-11.
Zaâbi, S., Gillet, P., Afli, A., Boumaiza, M., 2009. Biodiversity of polychaetous annelids from the peninsula of Cap Bon, northeast coast of Tunisia. Zoosymposia, 2, 587-600.
Zaâbi, S., Afli, A., 2006. Significations écologiques de la variabilité des Polychètes dans le golfe de Tunis. Bulletin de l’Institut Nationale des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer, Salammbô, 33, 29-36.
Zenetos, A., Gofas, S., Verlaque, M., Cinar, M.E., Grcia Raso, J.E. et al., 2010. Alien species in the Mediterranean Sea by 2010. A contribution to the application of European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Part I. Spatial distribution. Mediterranean Marine Science, 11 (2), 381-493.
Zghal, F., Ben Amor, Z., 1980. Annélides Polychètes de Tunisie. Bulletin de l’Office National des Pêches de Tunisie, 4, 1-11.
Most read articles by the same author(s)