Premium
Where does the Mediterranean Sea begin? Zoogeographical affinities of the littoral sponges of the Straits of Gibraltar
Author(s) -
Carballo J. L.,
Naranjo S.,
GarcíaGómez J. C.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of biogeography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1365-2699
pISSN - 0305-0270
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2699.1997.00082.x
Subject(s) - littoral zone , fauna , mediterranean climate , geography , subtropics , mediterranean sea , ecology , affinities , biology , oceanography , geology , biochemistry
A geographical study of the littoral sponges from the Straits of Gibraltar was undertaken, where the origin of these sponges is observed to be a transition between the different geographic regions that meet in the Straits. A great affinity was also observed between the Mauretanian fauna, the fauna from the Straits of Gibraltar and that from the entire Spanish Peninsular Mediterranean, thus conforming a very homogeneous block within the group of areas studied. On the other hand, a numerous group of species traditionally considered endemic to the Mediterranean, such as: Haliclona mucosa , H. valliculata , H. cratera , H. fulva , H. aqueductus . H. mediterranea , Dendroxea lenis , Phorbas tenacior , Hexadella racovitzai , Ircinia oros , Dictyonella incisa , Acanthella acuta , Diplastrella bistellata , etc. are believed to have an origin in tropical or subtropical Alantic waters.