DOCSLIB.ORG

Bivalve ¢Shing and Maerl-Bed Conservation in France and the UK}Retrospect and Prospect

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Bivalve ¢Shing and Maerl-Bed Conservation in France and the UK}Retrospect and Prospect AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. 13: S33–S41 (2003) Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/aqc.566 Bivalve ¢shing and maerl-bed conservation in France and the UK}retrospect and prospect J.M. HALL-SPENCERa,*, J. GRALLb, P.G. MOOREc and R.J.A. ATKINSONc a School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK b Institut Universitaire Europeeen! de la Mer, LEMAR UMR-CNRS 6539, Place Copernic, Plouzane, France c University Marine Biological Station, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, KA28 0EG, UK ABSTRACT 1. Maerl beds are carbonate sediments, built by a surface layer of slow-growing coralline algae, forming structurally fragile habitats. 2. They are of international conservation significance, often supporting a high biodiversity and abundant bivalve molluscs. 3. Experimental fishing for scallops (Pecten maximus) on French and UK grounds has shown that although large epifauna are often killed, many organisms escape harm as they burrow deeply or are small enough to pass through the dredges. 4. Bivalve dredging is currently one of the main threats to European maerl grounds as it reduces their biodiversity and structural complexity and can lead to long-term degradation of the habitat. 5. Protecting maerl grounds is of importance for fisheries since they provide structurally complex feeding areas for juvenile fish (e.g. Atlantic cod - Gadus morhua) and reserves of commercial brood stock (e.g. Ensis spp., P. maximus and Venus verrucosa). 6. We outline improved mechanisms to conserve these ancient and unique biogenic habitats. Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KEY WORDS: maerl; biodiversity; conservation; scallop dredging; bivalves; Scotland; France INTRODUCTION Maerl beds are sedimentary deposits derived from calcareous red seaweeds (Rhodophyta) that occur in coastal areas worldwide (Bosence, 1983; Littler et al., 1991; Steller and Foster, 1995) but are being degraded by a number of human activities (BIOMAERL, 1999). Their distribution is patchy and restricted by their need for light coupled with an intolerance of desiccation and low salinities (Birkett et al., 1998). Live maerl is limited to depths 532 m in the relatively turbid inshore waters of northern Europe. Maerl growth requires a degree of shelter from wave action, to prevent burial and dispersal into deep water, and enough water movement to prevent smothering with silt (Hall-Spencer, 1998). The special status of maerl grounds *Correspondence to: Dr J.M. Hall-Spencer, School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK. Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Received 4 April 2001 Accepted 20 August 2002 S34 J.M. HALL-SPENCER ET AL. derives from their unique character as complex biogenic structures of great antiquity (Adey and McKibbin, 1970; Canals and Ballasteros, 1997; Hall-Spencer, 2001). The complex architecture and extreme longevity of these habitats accounts for their high biodiversity (Maggs, 1983; Grall and Gleemarec,! 1997; Birkett et al., 1998; Hall-Spencer, 1998; BIOMAERL, 1999). In Europe, there are moves to establish Marine Protection Areas (MPAs) following agreements such as the Rio de Janeiro Convention on Biodiversity (1992) and the EC ‘Habitats Directive’ (1992). Notably, the maerl-forming corallines Phymatolithon calcareum and Lithothamnion corallioides are currently the only two algae specified as requiring management under the EC ‘Habitats Directive’ (Annex V). Biogenic reefs, such as maerl beds, are accepted as being vulnerable habitats by France and the UK and have been included within a proposed network of conservation areas termed ‘Natura 2000’ sites (Holt et al., 1998; French Government Website, 2001). Over the past six years, EC-funded research has provided a rounded insight into the ecological conditions, population dynamics and significance of a variety of human impacts on European maerl beds (BIOMAERL, 1999). It is now clear that bivalve dredging is one of the major threats to these habitats. In this paper we outline key findings from our work on maerl beds in the Bay of Brest (NW France) and the Clyde Sea area (SW Scotland) to assess the past and future impacts of bivalve fishing. THE TOPIC AS VIEWED FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES Conservation of maerl habitats requires urgent attention since there is considerable potential for their accelerated and widespread degradation over the next decade (BIOMAERL, 1999). Here we present ‘devil’s advocate’ arguments that some might use in favour of current practices or in targeting a wider range of maerl-dwelling bivalves. We then highlight the negative aspects of unrestricted exploitation and call for the long-term protection of a range of maerl habitats. ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF BIVALVE EXPLOITATION ON MAERL BEDS The main commercial target of NE Atlantic maerl beds is currently the scallop Pecten maximus. This species can exhibit good recruitment and growth on maerl beds due to low siltation and high rates of water exchange (Thouzeau and Lehay, 1988; Hily et al., 1992; Hall-Spencer and Moore, 2000a, c). Of 242 maerl beds recently surveyed around the UK, only about one third supported P. maximus (MNCR database, 2000). Where scallops do occur on maerl, strong currents and shallow plankton-laden water encourage the growth of large, high quality scallops that provide an attractive target for exploitation (Briggs, 2000). As northern European populations of maerl mainly reproduce through a cycle of fragmentation and growth (Cabioch, 1970; Freiwald et al., 1991), it has been argued that dredging can potentially benefit the spread of live maerl, allowing the colonization of new areas of sediment. However, experimental studies have shown that dredged maerl tends to become crushed and buried leading to high levels of mortality due to lack of light (Hall-Spencer and Moore, 2000a). When maerl grounds are first dredged, debris and non-target invertebrate species such as sponges and Limaria hians nests are gradually removed from the ground and this improves subsequent dredge efficiency (Hall-Spencer and Moore, 2000b). Although large, fragile epibenthos (e.g. the sea urchin Echinus esculentus) are killed, hard-shelled organisms (e.g. the whelk Buccinum undatum) often survive. Scallop dredges are designed to allow young scallops to pass through and many survive to be harvested in future years (Caddy, 2000). Provided there is a consistent supply of spat, dredged areas can yield substantial catches year on year. Schemes to improve spat supply are in place on maerl grounds in the Bay of Brest, which are re-seeded with hatchery-reared juveniles (Hall-Spencer et al., 2001). Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. 13: S33–S41 (2003) BIVALVE FISHING S35 (a) BRITTANY 80 60 40 mean no. taxa 20 0 BC AC BI AI AC AI AC AI AC AI Summer Autumn Winter Spring 0.1 m2 grab samples (b) SCOTLAND 80 60 40 mean no. taxa 20 0 BC AC BI AI AC AI AC AI AC AI Summer Autumn Winter Spring 0.1 m2 grab samples Figure 1. Mean number of taxa from 1 mm-sieved 0.1 m2 grab samples in control (open columns) and test areas (shaded columns) before and after experimental scallop dredging on maerl in the Bay of Brest (Brittany) and the Clyde Sea (Scotland). X-axis codes starting with ‘B’ denote ‘before fishing’, ‘A’ denotes ‘after fishing’. ‘C’ denotes ‘control plot’ samples, ‘I’ denotes ‘impacted plot samples. Error bars are +S.D. (n ¼ 6). Although current bivalve dredging practices do alter maerl habitats (Hall-Spencer and Moore, 2000a), they do not lead to long-term devastation of target species or the creation of barren grounds. Certain maerl grounds in the Bay of Brest have been dredged for scallops and the infaunal bivalve Venus verrucosa for >40 years, yet these sites remain productive for commercial bivalves and retain high levels of live maerl cover (Hall-Spencer et al., 2001). The sustained live maerl cover in the Bay of Brest may relate to local restrictions which set a limit of one scallop dredge per boat; this probably causes less damage than the sets of 36 dredges that are used routinely by large UK scallop boats. Typical French and UK scallop dredges have ca 10 cm long teeth to extract scallops living recessed within the sediment. The majority of inhabitants in the upper 10 cm of maerl sediment are small macrofauna. Grab sampling over the past two years showed that the number of taxa remained high after dredging maerl in the Bay of Brest and the Clyde Sea area (Figure 1). Small organisms survived in high numbers as many were displaced on a ‘bow wave’ that disturbed the sediment ahead of the advancing gear (see Gilkinson et al., 1998). Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. 13: S33–S41 (2003) S36 J.M. HALL-SPENCER ET AL. Maerl communities have a degree of resilience to scallop dredging as many organisms often live below the depth raked through by the dredge teeth (Keegan and Koonnecker,. 1973; Hall-Spencer and Atkinson, 1999). Deep-burrowing organisms can represent the majority of infaunal maerl biomass and can survive dredging in high numbers (Hall-Spencer et al., 2001). This work has also revealed that maerl beds represent a huge, presently untapped, source of edible infaunal bivalves. The hydraulic technology needed to exploit these populations is available and supports an extensive fishery in Italian waters (Froglia, 1989). A rapidly developing UK fishery for razor clams (mainly Ensis siliqua) is proving profitable, based on hand-collection on sandy sediments. There are also global markets opening up for the export of other maerl-dwelling bivalves such as Dosinia exoleta, Tapes rhomboides and Venus verrucosa. If such resources could be exploited sustainably, this could bring much needed employment and benefits to rural communities. ARGUMENTS AGAINST BIVALVE EXPLOITATION OF MAERL BEDS Scallop dredging on French and UK maerl beds has significantly reduced the complexity, biodiversity and long-term viability of these habitats (Hily et al., 1992; MacDonald et al., 1996; Hall-Spencer and Moore, 2000a-c).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reef Fish Biodiversity in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Megan E
    University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School November 2017 Reef Fish Biodiversity in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Megan E. Hepner University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Biology Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons Scholar Commons Citation Hepner, Megan E., "Reef Fish Biodiversity in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary" (2017). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7408 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Reef Fish Biodiversity in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary by Megan E. Hepner A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Marine Science with a concentration in Marine Resource Assessment College of Marine Science University of South Florida Major Professor: Frank Muller-Karger, Ph.D. Christopher Stallings, Ph.D. Steve Gittings, Ph.D. Date of Approval: October 31st, 2017 Keywords: Species richness, biodiversity, functional diversity, species traits Copyright © 2017, Megan E. Hepner ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to my major advisor, Dr. Frank Muller-Karger, who provided opportunities for me to strengthen my skills as a researcher on research cruises, dive surveys, and in the laboratory, and as a communicator through oral and presentations at conferences, and for encouraging my participation as a full team member in various meetings of the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) and other science meetings.
    [Show full text]
  • The Condition of Seabed Habitats, Fish and Shellfish of the Clyde Marine Region
    The condition of seabed habitats, fish and shellfish of the Clyde Marine Region Contents Contents....................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2 Background to Marine Planning in the Clyde ................................................................................ 2 What is Marine Planning and why is it needed? ........................................................................ 2 What is the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership? ....................................................................... 2 What is the Clyde Marine Region Assessment? ......................................................................... 3 What is the aim of this guide? ................................................................................................. 5 What happens now? .................................................................................................................. 5 2. Status of Seabed Habitats in the Clyde Marine Region .............................................................. 6 What does the Assessment show for rocky seabed habitats? ........................................................ 7 Kelp Forests ........................................................................................................................... 7 Coral-like rocky reefs .............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity: the UK Overseas Territories. Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee
    Biodiversity: the UK Overseas Territories Compiled by S. Oldfield Edited by D. Procter and L.V. Fleming ISBN: 1 86107 502 2 © Copyright Joint Nature Conservation Committee 1999 Illustrations and layout by Barry Larking Cover design Tracey Weeks Printed by CLE Citation. Procter, D., & Fleming, L.V., eds. 1999. Biodiversity: the UK Overseas Territories. Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Disclaimer: reference to legislation and convention texts in this document are correct to the best of our knowledge but must not be taken to infer definitive legal obligation. Cover photographs Front cover: Top right: Southern rockhopper penguin Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome (Richard White/JNCC). The world’s largest concentrations of southern rockhopper penguin are found on the Falkland Islands. Centre left: Down Rope, Pitcairn Island, South Pacific (Deborah Procter/JNCC). The introduced rat population of Pitcairn Island has successfully been eradicated in a programme funded by the UK Government. Centre right: Male Anegada rock iguana Cyclura pinguis (Glen Gerber/FFI). The Anegada rock iguana has been the subject of a successful breeding and re-introduction programme funded by FCO and FFI in collaboration with the National Parks Trust of the British Virgin Islands. Back cover: Black-browed albatross Diomedea melanophris (Richard White/JNCC). Of the global breeding population of black-browed albatross, 80 % is found on the Falkland Islands and 10% on South Georgia. Background image on front and back cover: Shoal of fish (Charles Sheppard/Warwick
    [Show full text]
  • New Zealand Fishes a Field Guide to Common Species Caught by Bottom, Midwater, and Surface Fishing Cover Photos: Top – Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi), Malcolm Francis
    New Zealand fishes A field guide to common species caught by bottom, midwater, and surface fishing Cover photos: Top – Kingfish (Seriola lalandi), Malcolm Francis. Top left – Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus), Malcolm Francis. Centre – Catch of hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae), Neil Bagley (NIWA). Bottom left – Jack mackerel (Trachurus sp.), Malcolm Francis. Bottom – Orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus), NIWA. New Zealand fishes A field guide to common species caught by bottom, midwater, and surface fishing New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No: 208 Prepared for Fisheries New Zealand by P. J. McMillan M. P. Francis G. D. James L. J. Paul P. Marriott E. J. Mackay B. A. Wood D. W. Stevens L. H. Griggs S. J. Baird C. D. Roberts‡ A. L. Stewart‡ C. D. Struthers‡ J. E. Robbins NIWA, Private Bag 14901, Wellington 6241 ‡ Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, PO Box 467, Wellington, 6011Wellington ISSN 1176-9440 (print) ISSN 1179-6480 (online) ISBN 978-1-98-859425-5 (print) ISBN 978-1-98-859426-2 (online) 2019 Disclaimer While every effort was made to ensure the information in this publication is accurate, Fisheries New Zealand does not accept any responsibility or liability for error of fact, omission, interpretation or opinion that may be present, nor for the consequences of any decisions based on this information. Requests for further copies should be directed to: Publications Logistics Officer Ministry for Primary Industries PO Box 2526 WELLINGTON 6140 Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0800 00 83 33 Facsimile: 04-894 0300 This publication is also available on the Ministry for Primary Industries website at http://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-and-resources/publications/ A higher resolution (larger) PDF of this guide is also available by application to: [email protected] Citation: McMillan, P.J.; Francis, M.P.; James, G.D.; Paul, L.J.; Marriott, P.; Mackay, E.; Wood, B.A.; Stevens, D.W.; Griggs, L.H.; Baird, S.J.; Roberts, C.D.; Stewart, A.L.; Struthers, C.D.; Robbins, J.E.
    [Show full text]
  • Caracterização E Mapeamento De Marcadores Moleculares Em Espécies Da Família Veneridae De Interesse Comercial Em Portugal E Espanha
    Caracterização e mapeamento de marcadores moleculares em espécies da família Veneridae de interesse comercial em Portugal e Espanha. Estudo da hibridação entre Ruditapes 2012 decussatus e Ruditapes philippinarum JOANA CARRILHO RODRIGUES DA SILVA Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Biomédicas Junho de 2012 Caracterização e mapeamento de marcadores moleculares em espécies da família Veneridae de interesse comercial em Portugal e Espanha. Estudo da hibridação entre Ruditapes decussatus e Ruditapes philippinarum JOANA CARRILHO RODRIGUES DA SILVA Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Biomédicas Junho de 2012 Joana Carrilho Rodrigues da Silva Caracterização e mapeamento de marcadores moleculares em espécies da família Veneridae de interesse comercial em Portugal e Espanha. Estudo da hibridação entre Ruditapes decussatus e Ruditapes philippinarum Tese de Candidatura ao grau de Doutor em Ciências Biomédicas submetida ao Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto. Orientadora – Prof. Doutora Maria Isabel da Silva Nogueira Bastos Malheiro Categoria – Professora Associada (com Nomeação Definitiva) Afiliação – Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto. Co-orientadores: Doutora Alexandra Maria Bessa Ferreira Leitão-Ben Hamadou Categoria – Investigadora Auxiliar Afiliação – Instituto Nacional de Recursos Biológicos (INRB/L-IPIMAR) Prof. Doutor Juan José Pasantes Ludeña Categoria – Professor Titular Universidade Afiliação – Dpto. de Bioquímica, Xenética e Inmunoloxía, Universidade de VIgo This thesis was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, with a PhD. grant, ref: SFRH/BD/35872/2007. It was also partially supported by grants from Xunta de Galicia and Fondos FEDER (PGI- DIT03PXIC30102PN; 08MMA023310PR; Grupos de Referencia Competitiva, 2010/80) and Universidade de Vigo (64102C124), and also by PTDC/MAR/72163/2006: FCOMP- 01-0124-FEDER-007384 of the FCT.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlas of North Sea Fishes
    ICES COOPERATIVE RESEARCH REPORT RAPPORT DES RECHERCHES COLLECTIVES NO. 194 Atlas of North Sea Fishes Based on bottom-trawl survey data for the years 1985—1987 Ruud J. Knijn1, Trevor W. Boon2, Henk J. L. Heessen1, and John R. G. Hislop3 'Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research, Haringkade 1, PO Box 6 8 , 1970 AB Umuiden, The Netherlands 2MAFF, Fisheries Laboratory, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 OHT, England 3Marine Laboratory, PO Box 101, Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB9 8 DB, Scotland Fish illustrations by Peter Stebbing International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Conseil International pour l’Exploration de la Mer Palægade 2—4, DK-1261 Copenhagen K, Denmark September 1993 Copyright ® 1993 All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by photostat or microfilm or stored in a storage system or retrieval system or by any other means without written permission from the authors and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Illustrations ® 1993 Peter Stebbing Published with financial support from the Directorate-General for Fisheries, AIR Programme, of the Commission of the European Communities ICES Cooperative Research Report No. 194 Atlas of North Sea Fishes ISSN 1017-6195 Printed in Denmark Contents 1. Introduction............................................................................................................... 1 2. Recruit surveys.................................................................................. 3 2.1 General purpose of the surveys.....................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • How to Train Your Dragonet (And Other Finicky Eaters)
    THIRD QUARTER 2017 I VOLUME 11 How to Train Your Dragonet (and other finicky eaters) Featured Tanks: SCHNITZELREEF and REEFSPOT Reef Hobbyist Magazine 1 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | Volume 11 FEATURES Copyright © 2017 Reef Hobbyist Magazine. All rights reserved. FOLLOWING THE DREAM: ANNOUNCEMENTS MY RISING TIDE • Care to share your reefing, fragging, breeding, or husbandry success with 6 INTERNSHIP the world? Email us your article ideas through the "Contact Us" tab on our Following his dream, Zachary Mueller was granted an website. internship with Rising Tide Conservation, one of the leading projects in captive marine fish breeding. Join RHM-SPONSORED EVENTS him as he shares his successes and failures in the Our latest issues are available at sponsored events. Contact us through our rigorous world of real science. website to have your event sponsored. COPEPODS FOR • MAMAX 2017: September 23, Chesapeake, VA EVERYONE: www.midatlanticmas.org/mamax-2017/ 10 CULTURING MADE EASY • Reef League: September 23, St. Augustine, FL Gordon Greenley is an accomplished marine aquarist www.reefleague.com and breeder specializing in rare invertebrates and • Reef-A-Palooza (Los Angeles): October 7-8, Anaheim, CA syngnathids. Feeding live copepods to reef tanks is www.reefapaloozashow.net highly nutritious and economical. Gordon details the • Southwest Florida MAS Reef Conference: October 21-22, Ft Meyers, FL culture requirements for two important species here. www.reefconference.com SCHNITZELREEF • Reef-A-Palooza (Orlando): April 7-8, 2018, Orlando, FL Nick Frick is a 10-year veteran reefer www.reefapaloozashow.net 16 better known online as Schnitzelreef. • Reef-A-Palooza (New York): June 23-24, 2018, Secaucus, NJ Nick's 8-foot reef tank is truly a showpiece of www.reefapaloozashow.net reefkeeping splendor, and hearing all that went into its creation is a great education in what it takes to DIGITAL & HARD COPY SUBSCRIPTIONS build a world-class reef.
    [Show full text]
  • And Saithe (Pollachius Virens) a Case Study Investigating the Juveniles’ Feeding Pattern and Identifying Valuable Nursery Habitats in the Icelandic Westfjords
    Trophic vulnerability of 0-group Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and saithe (Pollachius virens) A case study investigating the juveniles’ feeding pattern and identifying valuable nursery habitats in the Icelandic Westfjords Anja Katrin Nickel Advisor: Dr. Guðbjörg Ásta Ólafsdóttir University of Akureyri Faculty of Business and Science University Centre of the Westfjords Master of Resource Management: Coastal and Marine Management Ísafjörður, August 2016 Supervisory Committee Advisor: Dr. Guðbjörg Ásta Ólafsdóttir University of Iceland Reader: Name, title Program Director: Dagný Arnarsdóttir, MSc. Anja Katrin Nickel Trophic vulnerability of 0-group Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and saithe (Pollachius virens): A case study investigating the juveniles’ feeding pattern and identifying valuable nursery habitats in the Icelandic Westfjords 45 ECTS thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of a Master of Resource Management degree in Coastal and Marine Management at the University Centre of the Westfjords, Suðurgata 12, 400 Ísafjörður, Iceland Degree accredited by the University of Akureyri, Faculty of Business and Science, Borgir, 600 Akureyri, Iceland Copyright © 2016 Anja Katrin Nickel All rights reserved Printing: Háskólaprent, Reykjavík, August 2016 Declaration I hereby confirm that I am the sole author of this thesis and it is a product of my own academic research. __________________________________________ Student‘s name Abstract Rapid environmental change due to anthropogenic impacts currently threaten marine ecosystems and increase the pressure on the vulnerable early life stages of many marine organisms. In this study I examine trophic vulnerability of 0-group Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and saithe (Pollachius virens) during late summer and fall. This period coincides with the Atlantic cod juvenile settlement from the pelagic to the benthic habitat in the northwest of Iceland.
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Fishes from Galicia (NW Spain): an Updated Checklist
    1 2 Marine fishes from Galicia (NW Spain): an updated checklist 3 4 5 RAFAEL BAÑON1, DAVID VILLEGAS-RÍOS2, ALBERTO SERRANO3, 6 GONZALO MUCIENTES2,4 & JUAN CARLOS ARRONTE3 7 8 9 10 1 Servizo de Planificación, Dirección Xeral de Recursos Mariños, Consellería de Pesca 11 e Asuntos Marítimos, Rúa do Valiño 63-65, 15703 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. E- 12 mail: [email protected] 13 2 CSIC. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas. Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208 Vigo 14 (Pontevedra), Spain. E-mail: [email protected] (D. V-R); [email protected] 15 (G.M.). 16 3 Instituto Español de Oceanografía, C.O. de Santander, Santander, Spain. E-mail: 17 [email protected] (A.S); [email protected] (J.-C. A). 18 4Centro Tecnológico del Mar, CETMAR. Eduardo Cabello s.n., 36208. Vigo 19 (Pontevedra), Spain. 20 21 Abstract 22 23 An annotated checklist of the marine fishes from Galician waters is presented. The list 24 is based on historical literature records and new revisions. The ichthyofauna list is 25 composed by 397 species very diversified in 2 superclass, 3 class, 35 orders, 139 1 1 families and 288 genus. The order Perciformes is the most diverse one with 37 families, 2 91 genus and 135 species. Gobiidae (19 species) and Sparidae (19 species) are the 3 richest families. Biogeographically, the Lusitanian group includes 203 species (51.1%), 4 followed by 149 species of the Atlantic (37.5%), then 28 of the Boreal (7.1%), and 17 5 of the African (4.3%) groups. We have recognized 41 new records, and 3 other records 6 have been identified as doubtful.
    [Show full text]
  • BEHAVIOR PATTERNS and SEXUAL DIMORPHISM in the SPOTTED DRAGONET, DIPLOGRAMMUS Pauclradiatus (PISCES: CALLIONYMIDAE)
    BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE, 60(3): 872-893, 1997 BEHAVIOR PATTERNS AND SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN THE SPOTTED DRAGONET, DIPLOGRAMMUS PAUClRADIATUS (PISCES: CALLIONYMIDAE) Michael E. Harrington ABSTRACT Dragonets (Pisces: Callionymidae) have long been recognized as exhibiting high degrees of sexual dimorphism. In the century following Darwin's (1896) suggestion that sexual di- morphism in Callionymus lyra has evolved through sexual selection, there has been no pub- lished research on sexual selection in any species of dragonet. The present study provides II detailed description of sexual dimorphism in the spotted dragonet, Diplogrammus paucira- diarus, as well as a description of the behavior patterns involved in courtship, spawning, and agonistic interactions. Observations in the field and laboratory revealed the conIext in which sexually dimorphic traits were expressed, thus providing a basis for future research on sexual selection. Like most dragonets, the males of D. pauciradiarus are larger than the females, and the former develop longer dorsal and caudal fins. Males can also develop black pigmen- tation on the lower jaw (mouth bar), a black bar across the eye (eye bar) and orange pig- mentation on the head. and all three pigment patterns are accentuated (if present) during courtship and agonistic encounters. Males are highly aggressive toward each other and form dominance hierarchies. During both courtship and agonistic encounters, males perfornl lateral displays that involve raising the first dorsal fin. Spawning occurs during the last 2 hours of light (dusk) and involves ascending into the water column to release pelagic eggs. Because the sexually dimorphic traits of the males are involved in both courtship and agonistic be- havior patterns.
    [Show full text]
  • Age and Growth in Three Populations of Dosinia Exoleta (Bivalvia: Veneridae) from the Portuguese Coast
    Helgol Mar Res (2013) 67:639–652 DOI 10.1007/s10152-013-0350-7 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Age and growth in three populations of Dosinia exoleta (Bivalvia: Veneridae) from the Portuguese coast Paula Moura • Paulo Vasconcelos • Miguel B. Gaspar Received: 31 October 2012 / Revised: 25 February 2013 / Accepted: 4 March 2013 / Published online: 20 March 2013 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg and AWI 2013 Abstract The present study aimed at estimating the age Keywords Dosinia exoleta Á Age Á Growth Á and growth in three populations of Dosinia exoleta from Latitudinal variation Á Fishing effects Á Portugal the Portuguese coast (Aveiro in the north, Setu´bal in the southwest and Faro in the south). Two techniques were compared to ascertain the most suitable method for ageing Introduction D. exoleta. Growth marks on the shell surface and acetate peel replicas of sectioned shells were the techniques The rayed artemis or mature dosinia (Dosinia exoleta applied. Two hypotheses were tested: growth parameters Linnaeus, 1758) is distributed from the Norwegian and present latitudinal variation along the Portuguese coast; Baltic Seas, southwards to the Iberian Peninsula, into the growth parameters are influenced by the fishing exploita- Mediterranean, and along the western coast of Africa to tion. Shell surface rings proved inappropriate for ageing Senegal and Gabon (Tebble 1966). This species burrows this species, whereas acetate peels provided realistic esti- deeply in sand, mud and gravel bottoms, from the intertidal mates of the von Bertalanffy growth parameters (K, L? and zone to 70 m depth (Poppe and Goto 1993; Macedo et al. t0). A latitudinal gradient in growth rate was detected, with 1999), but can be found up to 150 m depth (Anon 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • Venerid Bibliography References for the "Generic Names" Database As Well As Other Selected Works on the Family Veneridae
    PEET Bivalvia Venerid Bibliography References for the "Generic Names" database as well as other selected works on the family Veneridae Accorsi Benini, C. (1974). I fossili di Case Soghe - M. Lungo (Colli Berici, Vicenza); II, Lamellibranchi. Memorie Geopaleontologiche dell'Universita de Ferrara 3(1): 61-80. Adachi, K. (1979). Seasonal changes of the protein level in the adductor muscle of the clam, Tapes philippinarum (Adams and Reeve) with reference to the reproductive seasons. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 64A(1): 85-89 Adams, A. (1864). On some new genera and species of Mollusca from the seas of China and Japan. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 13(3): 307-310. Adams, C. B. (1845). Specierum novarum conchyliorum, in Jamaica repertorum, synopsis. Pars I. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History 12: 1-10. Ahn, I.-Y., G. Lopez, R. E. Malouf (1993). Effects of the gem clam Gemma gemma on early post-settlement emigration, growth and survival of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria. Marine Ecology -- Progress Series 99(1/2): 61-70 (2 Sept.) Ahn, I.-Y., R. E. Malouf, G. Lopez (1993). Enhanced larval settlement of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria by the gem clam Gemma gemma. Marine Ecology -- Progress Series 99(1/2): 51-59 Alemany, J. A. (1986). Estudio comparado de la microestructura de la concha y el enrollamiento espiral en V. decussata (L. 1758) y V. rhomboides (Pennant, 1777) (Bivalvia: Veneridae). Bollettino Malacologico 22(5-8): 139-152. Alemany, J. A. (1987). Estudio comparado de la microestructura de la concha y el enrollamiento espiral en Dosinia exoleta (L.
    [Show full text]