More about taxonomic sufficiency: a case study using polychaete communities in a subtropical bay moderately affected by urban sewage

The taxonomic sufficiency approach has been proposed as a surrogate for the typical analysis of speciesabundance data, especially in conditions involving prominent pollution gradients. Here, we evaluate the use of taxonomic sufficiency with infralittoral macrobenthic data derived from samples taken in a moderate polluted subtropical environment in southeastern Brazil, analysing five taxonomic levels and including two functional levels throughout polychaete feeding guilds and trophic groups. The data were collected seasonally at nine stations and studied for two abundance data series (0.5 and 1.0 mm sieve mesh-size). The results showed a similar ordination pattern between the two sieve mesh-size, but with the 0.5 mm sieve data a different pattern was observed during austral summer. A slight loss of information was detected using genus, family, polychaete species and their feeding guilds as taxonomic/ functional units. These results together with those of the cost/ benefit ratio, suggested that the family level seemed to be sufficient to detect the impact caused by moderate pollution in this shallow-water, subtropical environment. In additional, through the use of feeding guilds, similar patterns are obtained. Correlation analysis showed that chlorophyll a, total organic matter, zinc, and chromium sediment content were the variables that best explained the biological pattern observed and not always the best correlation coefficient occurring at the species level. The feeding guild approach seems to be useful and generates interpretable results similar to those obtained with the species level of the whole macroinfauna. The results showed an important cost reduction in the sample processing, suggesting that it is possible to adopt a coarser taxonomic level monitoring program even in species-rich communities.     

Preliminary data on the composition and distribution of polychaetes in the deep-water areas of the north-western part of the Sea of Japan

During the SoJaBio expedition, the deep sea fauna of the north-western Sea of Japan was sampled in August–September 2010. From this study, 11 epibenthic sledge stations are analyzed, with a focus on species composition, diversity and distribution patterns of polychaetes. A total of 92 polychaete taxa belonging to 70 genera and 28 families and 3 indeterminate species were found. Twelve species and eight genera have not been reported from the Sea of Japan before, but were registered from other deep-sea basins. Calculation of diversity (Shannon–Wiener Index, Pielou's Evenness) showed that the upper bathyal of the Sea of Japan is an area of higher polychaete diversity than the abyssal plain. The increased richness and diversity here could possibly be explained by a zoogeographic overlapping with the shallower species' assemblages of the shelf. At a higher taxonomic level the polychaete fauna of the deep Sea of Japan does not seem to differ from that of other deep-sea regions world-wide. In depths below 2000 m about 30% polychaete species have wide distributional ranges.     

Multicausal environmental severity: A flexible framework for microtidal sandy beaches and the role of polychaetes as an indicator taxon

The aim of this paper is to study the macrofaunal community dynamics and the biological–environmental interactions in the mid- and sublittoral ecosystems of the microtidal Mediterranean sandy shores. Four sandy beaches, three on the island of Crete and one on the northwest coast of Italy were selected to investigate the spatial and temporal changes in the community structure and the associated environmental variables. The littoral zone, which has not been adequately studied in the Eastern Mediterranean, presents special interest not only from the scientific point of view but also for practical reasons of ecological management. The multivariate techniques revealed that the community pattern of the sandy beach macrofauna is mainly spatial rather than temporal. There are pronounced differences in species composition and abundance of the macrofaunal assemblages of the mid- and sublittoral zone. The multicausal environmental severity hypothesis appears to be valid for the sandy beach macrofaunal communities of the Mediterranean. The abundance and composition of the macrofaunal assemblages are highly variable and are affected by the synergistic effects of many environmental variables. The polychaete taxonomic assemblage structure closely follows the macrofaunal community pattern. Differences between the two patterns may arise from the different responses that polychaetes may show to the environmental stress.     

Variance estimate and taxonomic resolution: An analysis of macrobenthic spatial patterns at different scales in a Western Mediterranean coastal lagoon

The effects of taxonomic resolution on the variance estimates of macrobenthic assemblages were studied at four spatial scales in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon. The assemblages exhibited significant differences at all the investigated scales; however, spatial variability was mainly associated with the smallest and the largest scales. The decrease of taxonomic resolution (from species to family) was not related to a decrease of the overall variability and similar estimates of variance components were obtained using species and family resolution levels. The ordination models derived from species and family abundances were very similar both in terms of location and dispersion effect, while further aggregation to the class level began to alter the observed spatial patterns. In future studies aimed at assessing changes in the lagoon, resources derived from the cost reductions achieved using family level could be employed to plan more frequent surveys and/or to adopt complex spatial sampling designs with a high number of replicates.     

福建三沙湾网箱养殖对多毛纲动物群落结构的影响

利用东海近海典型网箱养殖海湾三沙湾9个航次数据,基于群落结构时空差异,阐释网箱养殖活动对多毛纲(Polychaeta)动物群落的影响。就群落组成而言,网箱养殖和非网箱养殖水域多毛纲物种组成存在差异,丝鳃虫科(Cirratulidae)和多鳞虫科(Polynoidae)分别是两种水域最占优势的类群;网箱养殖水域多毛纲优势物种的丰度及丰度比值略高于非网箱养殖区(104.06ind./m248.29ind./m2,57.59%46.96%)。双因素方差分析(采样时间和养殖方式)结果表明,两种因素对物种数(S)、丰度(N)、生物量(B)、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H′)、Pielou均匀度指数(J′)、Margalef丰富度指数(d)等典型群落参数的交互作用不显著(P0.05);考虑两种因素独立效应时,群落参数均无显著空间差异(P0.05),但存在极显著时间差异(P0.01)。双因素群落结构相似性分析(two-way ANOSIM analysis)表明群落结构无显著空间差异(P0.05),但存在极显著时间差异(P0.01)。典型对应分析(canonical correspondence analysis,CCA)显示pH、水深和溶解氧是影响三沙湾多毛纲动物分布格局的主要环境因子。上述结论显示,三沙湾网箱养殖活动对多毛纲动物群落结构已产生一定影响,主要表现在群落组成方面,群落结构和部分典型底栖环境因子具较强相关性。     

中国亚热带-热带3个海区微型鞭毛虫群落优势种和稀有种的分布特征和建群机制

海洋微型鞭毛虫是海洋微型真核浮游生物中非常重要的一大类群,在构成和维持海洋生态系统的结构和功能中扮演着重要角色。微生物群落通常由少数优势种和大量稀有种组成,这种分布模式在海洋微型鞭毛虫群落中也极为常见,并且二者的内在特征可能对群落生物地理分布格局以及生态系统功能产生不同影响。然而在多数研究中并未将两种不同亚群落进行区分,对二者的分布特征、对环境和空间因子的响应以及在总体群落中的生态地位等的认识十分有限。本研究利用高通量测序技术,调查了中国近海亚热带 热带3个自然海区微型鞭毛虫群落中优势种和稀有种的分布特征,并探讨了环境因子和空间因子与不同亚群落之间的关系,利用中性模型揭示了中性过程在群落构建中的作用,最后通过共现网络分析解析了两种不同亚群落在总体群落中的生态地位。结果表明：3个海区微型鞭毛虫群落中的优势类群和稀有类群在多样性和物种组成上具有不同的特征,表现出一定的生物地理分布格局;这与它们受到不同程度环境因子和空间因子的驱动作用有关;中性模型的结果体现了随机过程在两种亚群落中的重要作用;最后,共现网络关系反映出不同丰富程度的生态类群具有重叠但又相异的生态位,从而在同一环境中形成物种的共存,维持了群落结构的稳定,而稀有类群以较高的连接度和更高比例的关键种数目,在网络关系中起到重要的连接作用。本研究初步揭示了中国近海微型鞭毛虫优势种和稀有种的分布特征和建群机制,为深入认识海洋微型鞭毛虫的群落结构、分布格局以及影响其群落构建的生态过程提供理论依据。     

Temporal patterns among meiofauna and macrofauna taxa related to changes in sediment geochemistry at an abyssal NE Atlantic site

Two major size classes of the sediment community, meiofauna and macrofauna, and four classes of lipid compounds, fatty acids, alkanes, alcohols and sterols, were investigated using multicorer and USNEL boxcorer samples, collected during six cruises over a two year period (September 1996 to September–October 1998), at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain ( 48° 50′N 16° 30′W, 4850 m depth) within the framework of the MAST 3 BENGAL project. This site was known to be subject to seasonality in the input of organic matter to the seafloor. Results are given for each faunal size class in terms of taxonomic structure at the level of phylum, class or order, depending on the taxon, and for the dominant faunal components in terms of density and vertical distribution. For each lipid compound class, results are given in concentration and vertical distribution. The taxonomic structure of each size class did not change within the study period. Total meiofaunal and macrofaunal densities were particularly high, probably reflecting the high quantity and quality of organic matter inputs to the site. The dominant components of the two size classes presented different temporal patterns in their responses to changes in their environment. Populations of meiofaunal species, a foraminiferan and an opheliid polychaete, which inhabit the surface or sub-surface of sediment and feed on phytodetritus, responded with a rapid increase in abundance to a pulse of organic input in summer 1996. The macrofaunal polychaetes showed a lagged response to the same event by slowly increasing in density. Other components of the sediment community, that can live deeper in the sediment, moved down the sediment column, in response to 1) the impoverishment and bioturbation of the surface layer, and 2) the downward mixing of organic matter in the sediment by larger organisms. In this study, different temporal patterns were demonstrated for the first time in different size classes of the sediment community, and in the biological and environmental parameters that were studied simultaneously.     

基于GAM和GWR模型分析环境因子对鱼类分布的影响

多鳞鱚（Sillago sihama）是山东近海重要的渔业种类之一。本研究根据2016年秋季（10月）在山东近海开展渔业资源底拖网调查取得的数据,分析该海域多鳞鱚的空间分布特征,并运用广义可加模型（GAM）和地理加权回归（GWR）模型探究影响其分布的因素及其与环境因子的非线性和空间非平稳性关系。GAM拟合结果显示,影响秋季多鳞鱚分布的环境因子主要有水深、底层水温和底层盐度,水深的偏差解释率最大,为23.50%。GWR模型拟合结果显示,多鳞鱚分布与水深和底层水温之间存在空间非平稳性关系。水深与多鳞鱚相对资源量呈负相关关系,底层水温与多鳞鱚相对资源量呈正相关关系。赤池信息准则和决定系数（R2）指标对比结果显示,GWR模型的表现优于GAM,在渔业生态数据分析中表现出较好的发展潜力。本研究为今后开展渔业生物空间分布提供了一种新的方法。     

Spatial patterns of biodiversity in the Black Sea: An assessment using benthic polychaetes

The current study broadens the biodiversity information available for the Black Sea and neighbouring regions and improves our knowledge about the polychaete biogeographic patterns to be discerned in them. There appears to be a well-defined zoogeocline from the Marmara Sea and Bosphorus Strait to the inner parts of the region (Azov Sea), depicted both as a multivariate pattern and in terms of species (or taxa) numbers. The emergent multivariate pattern complies, to a certain extent, with Jakubova’s (1935) views: three main sectors can be defined in the basin: (a) Prebosphoric, (b) the Black Sea and, (c) the Azov Sea, whereas the Bosphorus Strait and Marmara Sea show less faunal affinities with the afore-mentioned sectors. Patterns derived both from the cosmopolitan and Atlanto-Mediterranean species closely follow the one coming from the polychaete species and genera inventories. As a general trend, species numbers decrease along with the decrease in salinity towards the inner parts of the region. The trend is homologous to that seen in the benthic invertebrate inventories of all the major European semi-enclosed regional seas. Salinity and food availability appear to be the dominant abiotic factors correlated, though weakly, with the various patterns deriving from the taxonomic/zoogeographic categories. With the exception of the Anatolia, polychaete inventories from all sectors appear to be random samples of the total inventory of the region, in terms of taxonomic distinctness values. Therefore, these sectoral inventories can be used for future biodiversity/environmental impact assessment studies. A massive invasion of Mediterranean species after the opening of the Black Sea, in the lower Quaternary period, appears to be the likely biogeographic mechanism through which the old Sarmatic fauna was almost completely replaced by species of marine origin.     

Distribution of soft-bottom polychaetes in two coastal areas of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy): Structural analysis

Multidimensional statistical analysis was used to study the polychaete distribution in soft-bottoms of two coastal areas of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy), which are influenced by the discharges of the rivers Tiber and Ombrone. In both areas the distributional patterns of these organisms are determined mainly by sediment types and related factors such as hydrodynamics, river input, and sedimentation. The grain-size gradient from the coast to the open sea affects not only species composition, but also species richness, diversity and abundance.In both areas three main communities have been identified: a sandy biocoenosis, a mixed-sediment biocoenosis and a muddy biocoenosis. The sandy coastal community is characterized by only a few species, while the intermediate zone of sandy-mud sediments presents the highest species richness and diversity. At the mouth of the River Tiber the influence of the river is more evident than at the mouth of the River Ombrone. This is due to the Tiber's greater river flow, which determines an environmental uniformity and a ‘cenotic continuum’ from sandy to muddy communities. This does not occur at the mouth of the Ombrone, where the river flow is less important and the polychaete communities are better defined.     

Taxon‐related diversity patterns from the continental shelf to the slope: a case study on nematodes from the Western Indian Ocean

A study was carried out across the continental shelf and slope in the Western Indian Ocean along the Kenyan margin to unravel depth‐related species diversity patterns portrayed by different nematode families. Sediment samples were collected along four bathymetric transects at 20, 50, 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 m. Three nematode families were selected for species analysis, based on their general occurrence with relatively high numbers and diversity from shelf to slope. All three families exhibited a distinctly different shelf and slope nematode species community. However, all three families also had a significant proportion of species that displayed a eurybathic distribution. Coincidentally, Microlaimidae, the least species‐rich family had the most eurybathic species (75%) compared to Comesomatidae (39%) and Chromadoridae (32%). Total number of species per depth zone along the sampled area (gamma diversity) was three to four times the average number of species (alpha) per station. The difference was more pronounced at the slope than at the shelf. The species turnover was also higher at the slope than at the shelf stations. Each of the three families had a different diversity pattern: Comesomatidae showed a peak at mid‐depth, Chromadoridae increased with depth, and Microlaimidae showed no prominent change with depth. When the three families were combined, the shelf maintained a lower diversity compared to the slope (both local and regional). There was no consistency between genus and species diversity patterns with depth, indicating that genus diversity data may not be a proxy for species diversity. At the lowest taxonomic level (species), the slope showed a higher diversity than the shelf, whereas at higher (genus) taxonomic level the diversity was comparable between the slope and the shelf. The number of species encountered increased with the number of samples analysed and did not reach asymptote, meaning that the area was still under‐sampled. This situation points to the possibility of an even higher regional diversity.     

Demersal fishes in a tropical bay in southeastern Brazil: Partitioning the spatial, temporal and environmental components of ecological variation

This study analyzed the factors structuring demersal fish community in a tropical bay in southeastern Brazil. The results were used to quantify the partitioning of ecological variation among the environmental, spatial and temporal components molding the fish community. Three bay zones (inner, middle and outer) were defined according to depth and salinity gradient. Monthly samplings were conducted by bottom trawl tows during daylight hours, between October 1998 and September 1999. In each zone, three replicate samples were taken. Ninety-three fish species from 73 genera and 37 families were recorded in the 108 samples. Two demersal fish assemblages were evidenced, one in the inner and the other in the outer zone. These assemblages were characterized by changes in species composition and relative abundance. Depth, followed by transparency and salinity, influenced spatial pattern of fish assemblages. The largest part of the explained variation occurred as a result of the spatial structure of environmental variables, which means that both species and environmental variables presented similar spatial structure. The spatial effect, not the seasonal, explained the highest part of species variations. The amount of unexplained variation was relatively high (76%), even assuming that part of it is due to nondeterministic fluctuation, which could be due to local effects of unmeasured (biotic and abiotic) controlling variables. Knowing the relative importance of these factors can be of decisive importance when applying casual hypotheses in the framework of some precise ecological theory and should facilitate management, planning, and usage of bay resources.     

Scale-dependent effects of nutrient loads and climatic conditions on benthic and pelagic communities in the Gulf of Finland

Eutrophication and climate change are ranked among the most serious threats to the stability of marine ecosystems worldwide. The effects of nutrient loads and climatic conditions vary in direction, magnitude and spatial extent. To date the factors that are behind the scale-specific spatial and temporal variability are poorly known. In this study we assessed how variability in nutrient loads and climatic conditions at local, gulf and regional scales explained the spatial patterns and temporal trends of zooplankton and benthic invertebrates in the Gulf of Finland. In general both local and gulf scale environmental variability had an important effect on benthic invertebrate species and the variability was mainly due to local nutrient loading, gulf scale temperature and salinity patterns. Zooplankton species were equally affected by environmental variability at all spatial scales, and all nutrient load and climatic condition variables contributed to the models. The combination of variables at all spatial scales did not explain the substantially larger proportion in invertebrate variability than variables at any individual scale. This suggests that large-scale pressures such as nutrient loads and change of climatic conditions may define broad patterns of distribution but within these patterns small-scale environmental variability significantly modifies the response of communities to these large-scale pressures.     

Distribution of Sessile Invertebrates in a Rocky Sublittoral Community off Rimsky‐Korsakov Islands (Sea of Japan)

Abstract. The dependence of the vertical distribution of sessile macrobenthos upon environmental physical factors was studied in a community inhabiting rocky substrata at 2 to 15 m depth near the Rimsky‐Korsakov Islands (Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan). Three separate groups of species were distinguished within this community. The main dominant species are the anthozoan Metridium senile and the mussel Crenomytilus grayanus. Water movement, bottom inclination and topographic position of the studied sites in respect to prevailing water flows influence the spatial structure of sessile invertebrates. No vertical zonation in the scale of the studied sublittoral area below the 2 m depth level was observed. The studied factors are believed to condition the observed mosaic of patches characterized by specific composition, with a single species being dominant.     

The biogeography and community structure of kelp forest macroinvertebrates

Understanding species distributions and their community structure is increasingly important when taking an ecosystem‐based approach to conservation and management. However, knowledge of the distribution and community structure of species in mid‐range trophic levels (e.g. macroinvertebrates) is lacking in most marine ecosystems. Our study aimed to examine the spatial distribution and community‐level biogeographic patterns of common kelp forest–rocky reef macroinvertebrates in Southern California and to evaluate the effects of environmental gradients on these communities. Quantitative SCUBA surveys were used to estimate macroinvertebrate densities at 92 sites from 2008–2012. Non‐metric multidimensional scaling was used to evaluate spatial patterns of macroinvertebrate communities among Regions. We found that kelp forest–rocky reef macroinvertebrate communities are distinct among different island and mainland regions, and their community patterns exhibited a strong relationship with an environmental gradient (i.e. sea surface temperature) even after controlling for geographic distance between sites. High abundances of urchin species (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) were strong drivers of regional differences. Macroinvertebrate community patterns were driven by characteristic species that were typically more prevalent at warmer or colder sites. Our results provide the first quantitative analysis of macroinvertebrate community structure within the California kelp forest ecosystem. We also describe the distribution and abundance of 92 conspicuous kelp forest‐rocky reef macroinvertebrates among nine pre‐defined Regions. This study provides important preliminary information on these macroinvertebrate species that will be directly useful to inform management of invertebrate fisheries and spatial protection of marine resources.     

Spatial variability and dynamics of macrobenthos in a Mediterranean delta front area: The role of physical processes

Benthic communities in delta fronts are subject to burial risk because of high riverine sediment discharges and to substrate instability due to deposition of fine sediments at shallow depths. This study examines the spatial distribution of macroinfauna in the subaqueous deltaic depositions of a small river in the eastern Mediterranean (the Spercheios river, Maliakos Gulf, Aegean Sea) in relation to environmental variables in the water column and sediment. Samples were taken at eight stations in January, May, August and November 2000. From late winter to spring enhanced phytoplanktonic biomass, elevated suspended load and poorly sorted sediments showed a simultaneous influence of riverine discharges and hydrodynamics on the benthic system. In contrast, from summer to autumn oligotrophy in the water column and low hydrodynamic regime were observed. Total abundance, biomass and numbers of benthic species were positively correlated with distance from the river but negatively correlated with suspended inorganic particles and sediment skewness. Species from different functional groups, ranging from surface-living opportunists to burrowers and predators, coexisted at each station. However, suspension feeders were numerically suppressed near the river mouth. Non-parametric multivariate regressions showed that the variance in the species data was explained by environmental variables to a level ranging from 53 to 69%. This indicated a strong link between the macrofauna and the delta front environment. The variables used as measures of hydrodynamics and turbidity (i.e. sediment skewness and sorting, suspended material and transparency) displayed great explanatory power. The results of the present study show that the distribution of species is related to fluctuations in hydrodynamic regime that influence substrate characteristics. The study also demonstrates that sediment discharges of small temperate rivers can determine species composition in the delta front and have a detrimental impact on the community at short distances from river outflows.     

Muscle myogens in the New Zealand Galaxiidae

The muscle myogen proteins of 10 species of the family Galaxiidae exhibited a high degree of species specificity when separated by starch gel electrophoresis. Non‐diadromous, non‐lacustrine species had some variation in the proteins present, while diadromous and lacustrine species, except for Galaxias maculatus, had remarkably uniform muscle myogen electrophero‐grams. The variation can be explained by polymorphism and mosaic evolution of isolated freshwater populations. It was found that previously erected specific and generic categories, except for G. vulgaris, are clearly defined by differences in muscle protein. The standardised electropherogram types obtained were subjected to cluster analysis using both squared Euclidean distance and the complement of Jacard's coefficient with average sorting strategy. A principal component analysis was also carried out. The first two components of the principal component analysis widely spaced the three genera included in this study (Salmo, Galaxias, and Neochanna), with N. burrowsius occupying an intermediate position between Galaxias and Neochanna. Previous workers have considered this species to be a connecting link between the two genera. The dendrogram produced by using squared Euclidean distance (which included all available information) first clustered the types into Salmoniidae and Galaxiidae. The latter were split into the genus Neochanna and the genus Galaxias which was then subdivided into stout‐bodied species (G. argenleus and G. jasciatus) and slender‐bodied species. G. brevipinnis and G. vulgaris types were further separated from the three alpine Galaxias species and G. maculatus. The substantial agreement of these results with previous taxonomic efforts indicates that electrophoretic data can be a valid taxonomic tool.     

Spatial Overlap and Coexistence in a Mussel-Associated Polychaete Assemblage on a South American Rocky Shore

Abstract. Mussel beds in the intertidal of subtropical South America are known to harbour a large number of invertebrates, particularly polychaetes. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the patterns of spatial overlap and coexistence in an assemblage of polychaetes associated with mussel beds in a rocky intertidal habitat on the Pacific coast of Peru. Mussel beds are made up of two zones in the intertidal: the lower, more extensive zone formed by Semimytilus algosus and the upper zone formed by Perumytilus purpuratus . Null models were employed to assess the magnitude of spatial overlap between pairs of taxa encompassing a total of seven taxonomic groups. Two taxa belonging to the same functional group tended to be spatially segregated in the Semimytilus bed: Pseudonereis vs. Halosydna (large free-ranging predators) and Scoloplos vs. Mediomastus (deposit feeders), with further segregating tendencies between Pseudonereis and Mediomastus , and between Halosydna and Scoloplos . Small-sized, free-ranging ' Typosyllis ' and the bottom-dwelling scavenging predator Lumbrineris were also spatially associated. Thus, this polychaete assemblage appears to be loosely organised around groupings of taxa which are somewhat different in ecological traits and form mosaic patterns of distribution with reduced overlap within the Semimytilus bed. These relationships were weak to non-existent in the upper, drier Perumytilus habitat where polychaete density was low.     

Genera as proxies for species α‐ and β‐diversity: tested across a deep‐water Atlantic–Arctic boundary

The deep‐sea floor is increasingly subject to anthropogenic impacts. Consequently, there are increasing efforts to develop appropriate management strategies. Species‐level indicators and assessments are hampered in the deep sea by the high proportion of unknown species routinely encountered. If environmental management is to keep pace with exploitation, alternative approaches including higher taxon surrogacy (taxonomic sufficiency) must be considered. Here we compare genus‐ and species‐level studies of the diversity and ecology of deep‐sea macrobenthos on the West Shetland Slope (NE Atlantic). This is an environmentally complex region that encompasses a biogeographic transition from temperate North Atlantic to Arctic conditions, and so may be particularly challenging for any general relationship between species‐ and genus‐level analyses. We ask two questions: (i) does genus diversity reflect species diversity and (ii) does genus‐level ecology reflect species‐level ecology? We conclude that among the West Shetland Slope macrobenthos: (i) genus‐level α‐ and β‐diversity measures are highly correlated with and good predictors of their species‐level equivalents and (ii) that their ecology is very well described by genus‐level data. We further note that, given the complexity of the West Shetland Slope environment, it may be reasonable to expect these conclusions to hold in other deep‐sea environments.     

Polychaete Communities Related to Plant Covering in the Médiolittoral and Infralittoral Zones of the Balearic Islands (Western Méditerranean)

Abstract. The polychaete fauna of the subtidal in the médiolittoral and the infralittoral hard bottom zones of the Balearic Islands at depths from 0 to 40m contained 220 species. Five different polychaete communities could be identified by changes in abundance, species richness, species composition, diversity, and trophic structure. In the very clear waters of these islands the infralittoral zone extends to a depth of 40 m and allows us to investigate whether former proposed models of polychaete distribution can be extended to this particular situation.