Diversity of Bivalve Mollusks Associated with Macroalgae on the Continental Shelf in the States of Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, Northeastern Brazil

Author(s)

Santos, Lucas ^[1] ; Souza, J. Weverton S. ^{[1, 2]} ; Lima, Silvio ^{[3, 4]} ; Guimaraes, Carmen ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sergipe, Ctr Biol & Hlth Sci, Dept Biol, Coastal Ecosyst Lab, Ave Marechal Rondon, BR-49100000 Sao Cristovao, Sergipe - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Postgrad Program Ecol, Ave Bertrand Russel, Cidade Univ Zeferino Vaz, BR-13083865 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] 3Fed Univ Campina Grande, Acad Unit Exact & Nat Sci, Teacher Training Ctr, Rua Sergio Moreira de Figueiredo, BR-58900000 Cajazeiras, Paraiba - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Paraiba, Exact & Nat Sci Ctr, Dept Systemat & Ecol, Postgrad Program Biol Sci Zool, Campus 1, Cidade Univ, BR-58051900 Joao Pessoa, Paraiba - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ZOOLOGICAL STUDIES; v. 59, NOV 19 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The phytal environment is a complex system that involves the association between marine organisms and macroalgae. In this paper, we investigate the diversity of bivalves associated with macroalgae on the continental shelf between the states of Alagoas and Bahia, including Sergipe, in northeastern Brazil. Macroalgae and associated fauna were collected during two sampling campaigns under the MARSEAL project (February and July 2011 {[}dry and rainy seasons, respectively]), covering 24 stations and three isobaths (10, 25 and 50 m). The following ecological descriptors were calculated: abundance (N), richness (S), diversity (H) and evenness (J). A total of 1384 individuals from 20 families, 28 genera and 44 species were obtained. Arcidae was the most abundant group, followed by the families Pteriidae and Mytilidae. The most abundant species were Arca zebra, Anadara sp. 1 and Pinctada imbricata, representing 71% of the total abundance. The families Arcidae, Corbulidae and Mytilidae were considered constant, as they occurred in more than 50% of the samples. A higher abundance was recorded during the rainy season. No seasonal differences were found regarding S, H' or J. Richness increased with increasing depth, whereas the other indices (N, H' and J) were not influenced by bathymetry. This reveals that the 50 m isobath has a greater support capacity and houses richer, more diverse fauna. Bivalve richness and composition data from this study expand the information on mollusk biodiversity associated with the phytal environment on the continental shelf off northeastern Brazil. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/20108-7 - Metacommunity: space and time dynamics of Capitellidae annelides in submarine canyons
• Grantee: José Weverton Santos de Souza
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate