Abstract
This study provides a compilation of all available information on deep-sea echinoderms from the middle and lower slopes of the Mediterranean Sea, with the aim of providing a unified source of information on the taxonomy of this group. Previous records of species are updated with new data obtained from 223 trawl hauls conducted in 11 cruises within the northwestern Mediterranean Sea between 800 m and 2845 m depth. Valid names, bathymetric ranges and geographic distributions are given for all species. The new data report, for the first time, the presence of the Atlantic echinoid Gracilechinus elegans (Duben and Koren, 1844) in the Mediterranean Sea. We also report the presence of the endemic holothurians Hedingia mediterranea (Bartolini Baldelli, 1914), dredged only once previously in 1914 in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and Penilpidia ludwigi (von Marenzeller, 1893), known previously only from three samples, two in the Aegean Sea and one in the Balearic Sea. Additionally, the deeper limits of the bathymetric distribution of four species have been expanded: the asteroid Ceramaster grenadensis (Perrier, 1881) to 2845 m; the echinoid Brissopsis lyrifera (Forbes, 1841) to 2250 m; and the holothurians Hedingia mediterranea and Holothuria (Panningothuria) forskali Delle Chiaje, 1823, to 1500 m and 850 m, respectively.
Highlights
The deep Mediterranean Sea has a wide variety of geological and ecological settings
Two species of Asteroidea were collected in our study: Ceramaster grenadensis (Perrier, 1881) (n=149)
Ceramaster grenadensis sampled in the present study has a wide bathymetric range (850 to 2845 m, Fig. 2)
Summary
The deep Mediterranean Sea has a wide variety of geological and ecological settings. Their faunal composition and local biodiversity are largely unknown (Danovaro et al 2010). The specific geomorphological characteristics of these habitats (e.g. the elevation of seamounts, the walls and axes of the submarine canyons and the inclination of the continental slopes) and associated abiotic processes (e.g. variation in oceanographic currents, hard vs soft substratum and food availability) result in large-scale heterogeneity of the continental margin seafloor (Carpine 1970, Emig 1997, D’Onghia et al 2003) This high habitat heterogeneity plays a major role in the establishment and maintenance of diverse faunal communities (Levin et al 2010), which, to date, are still largely unexplored in the deep Mediterranean Sea (Bienhold et al 2013, Mecho et al 2014)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
