Macrofauna associated with the brown algae Dictyota spp. (Phaeophyceae, Dictyotaceae) in the Sebastiao Gomes Reef and Abrolhos Archipelago, Bahia, Brazil

Author(s)

Cunha, Tauana Junqueira ; Gueth, Arthur Ziggiatti ; Bromberg, Sandra ; Gomes Sumida, Paulo Yukio

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH; v. 70, p. 10-pg., 2013-11-01.

Abstract

The taxonomic richness and distributional patterns of the macrofauna associated with the algae genus Dictyota from the Abrolhos Bank (Eastern Brazilian coast) are analyzed. Macrofauna comprised a total of 9586 specimens; a complete faunal list of the most abundant taxa (Crustacea, Polychaeta and Mollusca, accounting for 95.6%) resulted in 64 families and 120 species. Forty six species are registered for the first time for the Abrolhos Bank, of which 3 are also new for the Brazilian coast. The most abundant families were Ampithoidae amphipods (with Ampithoe ramondi as the main faunal component), Janiridae isopods, Rissoellidae gastropods and Syllidae polychaetes. Comparisons were made between summer and winter periods and among sites from Sebastiao Gomes Reef, near the coast, and from Siriba Island, in the Abrolhos Archipelago, away from the mainland. Algae size was lower in the summer, when faunal density was higher, suggesting a possible effect of grazing. Macrofaunal communities were significantly different among sites and periods. Coastal and external communities were markedly different and winter had the greatest effects on the fauna. Environmental conditions related to sediment type and origin and turbidity appear to be a good scenario for our macrofauna distribution results. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 07/00535-0 - Mapping of benthic habitats of the Abrolhos Bank
• Grantee: Paulo Yukio Gomes Sumida
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 09/13972-5 - Spatial and temporal distribution and diversity of the phytal assemblage associated with the brown seaweed Dictyota spp. in Sebastião Gomes reef and Abrolhos Archipelago, Bahia.
• Grantee: Tauana Junqueira da Cunha
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation