Common environmental descriptors of two benthic amphi-atlantic mollusc assemblages

Autores/as

  • Ricardo S. Absalão Univeridade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; Instituto de Biologia; Departamento de Zoologia
  • J. Moreira Universidad de Vigo; Facultad de Ciencias del Mar; Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal
  • Jesus S. Troncoso Universidad de Vigo; Facultad de Ciencias del Mar; Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-87592006000100006

Palabras clave:

Benthic ecology, Marine malacological assemblages, Multiple discriminant analysis, Environmental descriptors, Sedimentological parameters, Atlantic Ocean

Resumen

Two benthic mollusc assemblages of the continental shelf on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, a tropical one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and another, temperate, in Galicia, Spain were investigated, with a view to finding common environmental descriptors which would explain, on a macro-scale, why these assemblages are there. Both of the assemblages concerned show approximately the same species richness, about 150 taxa each. The molluscan fauna of both regions live on sandy sediments. The Galician assemblages are at about 2-12 m depth, while those in Rio de Janeiro are at about 10-40 m depth. Malacological assemblages were defined through Cluster Analysis and Multiple Discriminant Analysis of the environmental data showed that each assemblage has its own environmental space. These assemblages have no species in common, but show the same phenological characters associated with each sedimentological facies. The same set of environmental variables (median sediment grain size, skewness, kurtosis, sorting, fine and medium sand fractions and depth) were selected as controlling these assemblages, suggesting that they play their role as general environmental descriptors.

Descargas

Los datos de descarga aún no están disponibles.

Descargas

Publicado

2006-03-01

Número

Sección

Research Articles

Cómo citar

Common environmental descriptors of two benthic amphi-atlantic mollusc assemblages. (2006). Brazilian Journal of Oceanography, 54(1), 65-73. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-87592006000100006