Characterization of macrofauna associated with articulated calcareous algae (Corallinaceae, rhodophyta) occurring in a hydrodynamic gradient on the espírito santo state coast, brazil

Abstract

A B S T R A C TThe aims of this study were to characterize the macrofauna associated with the articulated calcareous algae occurring on a hydrodynamic gradient off the Vitória metropolitan area, Espírito Santo State, Brazil, and to describe its temporal distribution. Physicochemical variables were measured in situ, and samples of sediment, water and phytal were taken from three sites along the coast in August and November 2005 (winter and spring, respectively) and in February and May 2006 (summer and fall, respectively). Twenty random samples were taken from the rocky surface in the lower midlittoral zone at each site, each season. Six species of articulated algae harboring 9,651 animal specimens distributed among 189 taxa were collected. The dominant taxonomic groups were Mollusca, Polychaeta and Crustacea. The main patterns revealed by statistical analysis related to differences in the abundance and richness at the sample sites, as well as to the correlation between the physicochemical variables and community distance matrices, indicating the importance of the physicochemical variables in the differentiation of the communities. Results also indicated that the variable which most influenced the physicochemical and community properties was the hydrodynamic character of the sites: a high level of hydrodynamism resulting in the calcareous algae´s sheltering a lower abundance and diversity of animal species than a lower level one R E S U M O Os objetivos deste estudo foram caracterizar a macrofauna associada às algas calcárias articuladas num gradiente de hidrodinamismo no litoral da região metropolitana de Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brasil, e descrever a distribuição temporal. Variáveis fisicoquímicas foram medidas in situ, e amostras do sedimento, água e fital foram feitas em três pontos amostrais do litoral em agosto e novembro de 2005 (inverno e primavera, respectivamente) e fevereiro e maio de 2006 (verão e outono, respectivamente). Em cada ponto, e por estação do ano, foram obtidas 20 amostras aleatórias da superfície do costão rochoso na região do mediolitoral inferior. Seis espécies de algas calcárias articuladas foram coletadas e abrigaram 9.651 espécimes animais distribuídos em 189 táxons. Os grupos taxonômicos dominantes foram Mollusca, Polychaeta e Crustacea. Os principais padrões revelados pelas análises estatísticas foram diferenças na abundância e riqueza entre os pontos amostrais e correlação entre as variáveis fisicoquímicas e a comunidade, indicando que os parâmetros fisicoquímicos foram importantes para a caracterização destas. Os resultados indicaram ainda que a variável que mais influenciou as propriedades fisicoquímicas e da comunidade foi o grau de hidrodinamismo: locais com hidrodinamismo elevado permitem que algas calcárias abriguem uma menor abundância e diversidade de espécies animais do que locais com hidrodinamismo elevado.

Gastropod communities associated with Ulva spp. in the littoral zone in southeast Brazil

“…Ramos et al (2010) also found higher values of abundance, richness and diversity in this same area, in addition to a high level of organic matter present in the sediment retained below the algal mat. According to Nassar & Yoneshigue-Valentin (2006), even with the fronds covered with iron ore at Camburi beach, the algae survive, with variable abundances across species.…”

“…The phytal community is composed predominantly of crustaceans, polychaetes and molluscs (Santos & Correia, 2001;Tanaka & Leite, 2003;Ramos et al, 2010). Molluscs are widely distributed in marine assemblages and may be extremely abundant in subtidal and intertidal habitats.…”

“…However few studies have been done in Espírito Santo. Sá & Nalesso (2000) described and analyzed the fauna associated with four different types of phytal communities, and Ramos et al (2010) characterized the macrofauna associated with articulated calcareous algae occurring over a hydrodynamic gradient.…”

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

“…The relative contribution of the most abundant and speciose taxa is presented in Table 2. A predominance of gammarideans, polychaetes and mollusks is typically found in phytal communities (Christie et al, 2007;Edgar, 1983;Gibbons and Griffiths, 1986;Leite et al, 2007;Ramos et al, 2010;Tanaka and Leite, 1998) and species of Ampithoidae such as the territorial and aggressive Ampithoe ramondi (Brawley and Adey, 1981) observed in our samples, are very common and often the dominant organisms on other algal species along the Brazilian coast (Jacobucci et al, 2009;Leite et al, 2007;Serejo and Licínio, 2002;Tanaka and Leite, 2003).…”

“…Environmental factors such as water temperature, sediment particles in the water, hydrodynamics and organic matter are also frequently pointed as directly or indirectly correlated to phytal macrofauna composition and distribution (Jacobucci et al, 2009;Ramos et al, 2010).…”