Abstract
Macrobenthic polychaete distributions were studied along the soft-bottoms of the Ensenada de San Simon (Galicia, NW Spain). Results suggest that the distribution and abundance of polychaetes in the inlet were highly dependent on depth, sediment characteristics (grain size, organic matter and calcium carbonate content) and bottom water temperature. In the inner area of the inlet, intertidal bottoms colonised by the seagrasses Zostera marina and Z. noltii were dominated by spionids and capitellids, and showed low species number and diversity. Shallow muddy bottoms of central areas were mostly dominated by ampharetids, terebellids and cirratullids. These families along with paraonids, maldanids and syllids were the most abundant families in the deeper subtidal muddy bottoms at the mouth of the inlet. These sediments also showed the highest number of species, diversity and density of individuals.
Highlights
The Galician rias (NW Spain) are a particular kind of estuarine system and have been extensively studied due to their great socio-economic importance, especially with regard to fisheries, mussel culture on rafts and shellfish resources
E. cacabelos et al Despite a number of scientific studies devoted to the Ensenada de San Simón (Nombela et al, 1995; Fernández-Rodríguez et al, 1997), few studies have analysed patterns of spatial distribution of benthic fauna, and none have yet determined the structure of polychaete populations
The soft bottoms of the Ensenada de San Simón were characterised by a predominance of muddy sediments with high total organic matter content and low calcium carbonate content (Table 1)
Summary
The Galician rias (NW Spain) are a particular kind of estuarine system and have been extensively studied due to their great socio-economic importance, especially with regard to fisheries, mussel culture on rafts and shellfish resources. This has led to numerous faunistic and ecological works on the macrobenthic communities of the Galician coasts in recent years (e.g. López-Jamar, 1982; Garmendia et al, 1998; Olabarria et al, 1998). Polychaete faunas have been extensively studied in other rias and in other areas of the Ría de Vigo, from either descriptive (Viéitez, 1976; Moreira et al, 2006) or taxonomic points of views (Moreira et al, 2000a; Moreira et al, 2000b; Parapar et al, 2000). The aim of the present study is to describe the composition and distribution of polychaete assemblages and their relationships with a number of environmental variables
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