engleski

New data about demosponge diversity in the Adriatic Sea

The Adriatic Sea can be considered as a large, mostly shallow embayment of the Mediterranean Sea. The longitudinal SE-NW position of the Adriatic results in considerable climate differences along it. When combined with other factors three ecologically distinct areas can be distinguished: the North, Middle and South Adriatic. The North Adriatic is the northernmost part of the Mediterranean, it is the shallowest part of the Adriatic and it is under the strong influence of the river Po inflow. The South Adriatic is the deepest part of the Adriatic and it is under the strong influence of the incoming warm current from the south. The Middle Adriatic can be considered as a transition zone between these two extremes. Most of the Adriatic shelf was submerged recently, after the last glaciation, during the last 18.000 years when the Adriatic Sea level rose for approximately hundred meters. In this work we compiled the list of demosponges recorded in the Adriatic Sea up to now: we performed a thorough literature check and we added results of our decade long research. In order to check if there is any preference among sponge species towards certain parts of the Adriatic all the records were assigned to the North, Middle or South Adriatic according to their geographic location. In the contribution we discuss the results of the statistical analysis. Altogether 266 species of demosponges have been recorded up to now in the whole Adriatic (our findings and literature survey). Among the 124 species that we found so far in our research 11 are new records for the Adriatic Sea (5 of which were noted only in caves). These species are: Penares candidata (Schmidt, 1868), Timea geministellata Pulitzer-Finali, 1978, Discodermia polydiscus (Bowerbank, 1869), Rhabderemia spinosa Topsent, 1896, Hymedesmia (Stylopus) coriacea (Fristedt, 1885), Phorbas dives (Topsent, 1891), Myxilla (Myxilla) macrosigma Boury-Esnault, 1971, Axinella vaceleti Pansini, 1984, Dendroxea lenis (Topsent, 1892), Pleraplysilla spinifera (Schulze, 1878) and Hexadella racovitzai Topsent, 1896.

demosponge diversity ; Adriatic Sea ; new records ; list of species

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