Mediterranean Pycnogonida: faunistic, taxonomical and zoogeographical considerations

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Biogeographia vol. XXIV ~ 2003 (Printed October, 31st 2003) Marine biogeography of the Mediterranean Sea: patterns and dynamics of biodiversity Mediterranean Pycnogonida: faunistic, taxonomical and zoogeographical considerations CARLA CHIMENZ GUSSO*, LORETTA LATTANZI** *Dz;z7zm‘z'mem‘0 di Biologizz /lrzimtzle e a’e[[’U0m0, Uniz/er5z'tz‘z di Roma “Lrz Szzpimzzz”, Vle Uiziversitiz 32, I—O0]85, Roma (Italy) **I. CR./l./W, Vitl di CLl.ftZ[0lfi 300, 1'-00155, Roma (Italy). Keywords: Pycnogonida, Mediterranean Sea, taxonomy, biogeography. SUMMARY An up-to—date list of the Pycnogonida of the Mediterranean Sea is given. The total number of taxa registered is 56, some of which require a revision. Four species are to be considered as allochthonous: Ammat/Jen /Jilgem/mfi, Anopladarty/us ca/zfizrvzirzir, A. dzgiranzr, Pz'g7'og7‘omiz7z.r timrzzmzr. As regards zoogeographic composition, the highest percentage (35%) is displayed by Mediterranean Atlantic elements, the lowest by Indo—Pacific species (found only in the Eastern Basin); cosmopolitan and endemic elements have the same percentage (24% each); the proportion of endemic species is comparable to that of sessile or relatively non mobile organisms, such as Hydroida, Bryozoa and Echinodermata. INTRODUCTION According to Chimenz Gusso (2000), the Pycnogonida fauna of the Mediterranean Sea (including the Black Sea) comprises 54 species, about 5% of the World total (1100 species according to Muller, 1993) and 37% of the European total (146, according to the European Register of Marine Species). For the Italian coasts (including Nizza and Istria) Chimenz Gusso (2000) cited 44 species, almost 79% of the Mediterranean Sea total. The object of the pre- sent article is to provide un update on available knowledge for the whole Mediterranean basin, as a starting—point for a zoogeographic characterization. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sites, for which data have been collected on Pycnogonida fauna, are shown in Tab. 1. The symbols of the areas studied and the respective authors are as follows: