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Abundance and Distribution of the Macrobenthic Infauna of the Gulf of Arauco, Chile
Author(s) -
Carrasco Franklin D.,
Gallardo Victor A.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
internationale revue der gesamten hydrobiologie und hydrographie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 0020-9309
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.3510680607
Subject(s) - polychaete , fauna , upwelling , abundance (ecology) , biomass (ecology) , productivity , oceanography , sediment , ecology , macrobenthos , biology , environmental science , fishery , geology , paleontology , economics , macroeconomics
The macrobenthic infauna of the Gulf of Arauco (Central Chile), was quantitatively sampled in April 1979. A total of 81 species were identified. The infauna was greatly dominated by polychaetes. The polychaete Paraprionospio pinnata and the amphipod Ampelisca araucana accounted for ca . 45 per cent of the total infauna in terms of numbers. Numerical classification produced four site‐groups and four species‐groups, mostly reflecting differences in character and depth of sediment. Several community characteristics differed for these assemblages. Biomass also was dominated by polychaetes, with Pectinaria chilensis, P. pinnata, Diopatra chiliensis and Glycera americana making up 45 per cent of the total. The high numbers of the fauna (mean = 15,021 ind m −2 ) and especially the high biomass figures (mean = 21.04 g AFDW m −2 ) reported are consistent with the high productivity of the area, subject to coastal upwelling processes.