Inventory and Geographical Affinities of Algerian Cumacea, Isopoda, Mysida, Lophogastrida and Tanaidacea (Crustacea Peracarida)

Ali Bakalem,Jean-Philippe Pezy,Jean-Claude Dauvin

doi:10.3390/d13060221

Abstract

This study records the number of Peracarida (Cumacea, Isopoda, Mysida, Lophogastrida and Tanaidacea) from Algerian coastal waters. A total of 170 species are reported with the highest richness observed in the Isopoda (71 species), then the Cumacea with 43 species, the Mysida and Tanaidacea with 27 species each and the Lophogastrida with only two species. The diversity of Peracarida in Algeria is high, corresponding to 60% of the species recorded for the Mediterranean Sea. A geographical analysis of the distribution of the species shows that the Algerian fauna has a close similarity with taxa reported from both the European and African coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. This reflects the influence of Atlantic waters along the North African coasts extending from Morocco to Tunisia in the south of the Mediterranean Sea, which is related to the connection via the Strait of Gibraltar. For the Algerian coasts only five Peracarida species may be considered as Non-Indigenous Species.

Highlights

The Mediterranean Sea is recognized as a hot spot of marine biodiversity [1,2].Coll et al [1] reported 10,902 invertebrate marine species, including 2239 crustacean species, of which 858 belong to the Peracarida (8% of the diversity)
The main objectives of this study are: (1) to present the status of the Peracarida, including species belonging to the Cumacea, Isopoda, Lophogastrida, Mysida and Tanaidacea recorded along the Algerian coastline; (2) to attribute geographical affinities for each of these Algerian Peracarida species; and (3) to compare the inventory reported from coastal waters off Algeria with similar inventories compiled for other areas of the Mediterranean
The main characteristics of the Algerian coastline are given in [70,72,73] and can be summarized as follows: the continental shelf is narrow with rocky shores made up of alternating bays and gulfs; the silt content of sediments increases with depth; remarkable habitats are present in shallow waters, including Posidonia oceanica meadows and coralligenous formations; the surface sea circulation is mainly influenced by North Atlantic surface waters

Summary

Introduction

The Mediterranean Sea is recognized as a hot spot of marine biodiversity [1,2].Coll et al [1] reported 10,902 invertebrate marine species, including 2239 crustacean species, of which 858 belong to the Peracarida (8% of the diversity). The most diversified Peracarida group is the Amphipoda with 443 species, while other Peracarida account for 415 species (165 Isopoda, 102 Mysida, 99 Cumacea, 43 Tanaidacea and only six Lophogastrida) [1]. These authors [1] highlighted that the diversity was probably still underestimated and incomplete. This Peracarida biodiversity needs to be supplemented with additional species found in some southern areas of the Mediterranean Sea as well in the deeper parts of the eastern basin; this gap in our knowledge concerns mostly the coasts of North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Egypt). Bakalem and Dauvin [4], Bakalem et al [5] and Grimes et al [6] compiled a more exhaustive inventory of the benthic marine amphipods of the Algerian coast, recording a total of 332 species (75% of the Mediterranean Amphipoda Fauna)

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Discussion

Conclusion