European Ocean Biodiversity Information System
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page
Distribution of sponges on the Mauritanian continental shelf
Van Soest, R.W.M. (1993). Distribution of sponges on the Mauritanian continental shelf. Hydrobiologia 258(1-3): 95-106
In: Hydrobiologia. Springer: The Hague. ISSN 0018-8158; e-ISSN 1573-5117
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Author 
Keywords
    Aquatic organisms > Marine organisms > Aquatic animals > Marine invertebrates
    Barriers
    Distribution
    Geography > Biogeography
    Population characteristics > Population density
    Sampling > Biological sampling
    Water bodies > Coastal waters
    Porifera [WoRMS]
    Marine/Coastal
Author  Top 
  • Van Soest, R.W.M.
Abstract
    Transect sampling on the continental shelf off the Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania, revealed a patchy distribution of sponge species and populations. Major sponge habitats are inshore coastal sandstone flats harbouring a diverse infaunal sponge fauna, and the moving substrate of shells of live gastropods or empty shells occupied by hermit crabs which harbour a numerically important but species-poor incrusting sponge fauna. The latter forms occur over most of the depth profile. Horizontal distribution of the sponges shows a distinct gap in species and numbers associated with a muddy bottom area where the sediment-rich Banc d'Arguin run-off is found. North and south of this gap the specific composition of the infaunal sponges is considerably different and this is explained as evidence for limitation of range extensions, notably of the southern sponge fauna, by the muddy area.
All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Author