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Distribution and Ecology of Soft-Bottom Sipuncula from the Western Mediterranean Sea

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Distribution and Ecology of Soft-Bottom Sipuncula from the Western Mediterranean Sea Distribution and ecology of soft-bottom Sipuncula from the western Mediterranean Sea Luis Miguel Ferrero Vicente DOCTORADO EN CIENCIAS DEL MAR Y BIOLOGÍA APLICADA Distribution and ecology of soft-bottom Sipuncula from the western Mediterranean Sea Distribución y ecología de los sipuncúlidos de fondos blandos del mar Mediterráneo occidental Memoria presentada para optar al grado de Doctor Internacional en la Universidad de Alicante por LUIS MIGUEL FERRERO-VICENTE ALICANTE, Octubre 2014 Dirigida por: Dr. José Luis Sánchez Lizaso «If I saw further than other men, it was because I stood on the shoulders of giants» —Isaac Newton Agradecimientos /Acknowledgements AGRADECIMIENTOS / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS En primer lugar quiero agradecer a la Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla la financiación aportada a través de los diferentes proyectos en los que hemos colaborado. También agradezco a José Luis el haberme ofrecido la oportunidad de trabajar en lo que me gusta, el mar y los animales, aunque sean pequeños y raros. Muchas gracias por la confianza, por permitirme realizar esta tesis y participar en otros proyectos de investigación en los que tantas cosas he aprendido. En un plano más personal quiero expresar mi gratitud a toda mi familia y amigos, especialmente a mis padres y hermanos, que saben lo difícil que ha sido este camino. Parecía que nunca iba a llegar el momento de terminar, pero al fin ha llegado, muchas gracias por todo vuestro apoyo. También mi agradecimiento a Ángel Loya, porque sin él está oportunidad posiblemente no habría existido, y por todo su apoyo y amistad durante estos años. Él lo ha vivido conmigo, los momentos buenos y también los malos. Agradecer también a Eva su apoyo durante la primera etapa de este proyecto y por compartir la aventura de iniciar algo nuevo en un lugar distinto. Muchas gracias también a todos mis compañeros/profesores del departamento de Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada y del CIMAR. Cada uno ha ayudado de una u otra forma a que está tesis salga adelante; por su ayuda en el trabajo de campo, en el laboratorio o en el despacho, por sus consejos, por compartir su experiencia conmigo y por los buenos momentos dentro y fuera del trabajo. La lista es grande pero espero no olvidarme de nadie: Candela, Elena, Ángel, José, Yoana, Arecha, Maite, Tocho, Andrés, Irene, Aitor, Esther, Damián, Carlos, Yolanda, Vicky, Kilian, Lute, Lydia, Agustín, José Miguel, Aurora, Marta D, Mercedes, Antonio, Isidro, Celia, Elia, Bea, Cristina, Mohamed, Ana F, Ana N, José Vicente, Rosa, Marta, José Luis, Pablo S, Just B, Alfonso, Paqui, Zubcoff… perdón si me olvido de alguien. Muchísimas gracias a todos! Tengo que agradecer a Iñaki Saiz el haberme mostrado el camino. Mi estancia en la UPV en 2006 fue muy corta, apenas una mañana, pero llegué allí con una caja llena de ascidias, actinias, nemertinos, platelmintos y algún que otro sipuncúlido... cuando regresé a Alicante ya tenía claro lo que era un sipuncúlido y la metodología a seguir para identificarlos. Ese fue el verdadero inicio de este trabajo. Gracias también por la orientación que me has dado cuando te he trasladado alguna duda. Agradezco también el gran trabajo y el esfuerzo realizado por mis predecesores en este campo, en especial a Edward Cutler, al que no tuve la suerte de conocer, pero aun así me lo ha hecho todo más fácil. También gracias a Serge Gofas y Jesús Troncoso por los consejos y la ayuda en la identificación de los pequeños bivalvos que han aparecido en este trabajo. Muchas gracias a Just Cebrián por permitirme realizar una estancia en su laboratorio del DISL en Alabama y por portarse conmigo como un buen amigo más que como un jefe; tus consejos son siempre bien recibidos. Allí conocí a gente maravillosa y aprendí muchísimo, tanto en el plano laboral como en el personal. Muchas gracias también a todo el staff del DISL por ponérmelo todo tan fácil durante la estancia, especialmente 7 Distribution and ecology of soft-bottom Sipuncula from the western Mediterranean Sea a Aaron M por su ayuda con el inglés y a Ken Heck por muchísimas cosas. Thank you all!. Por último y más importante muchas gracias a Candela, por estar siempre a mi lado, tanto en el plano personal como en el profesional, y porque no has dejado de apoyarme ni un segundo en los momentos buenos y en los más bajos. Eres lo más importante que me llevo de todos estos años. Gracias por ser el faro que alumbra mi camino. 8 Tabla de contenidos / Table of contents TABLA DE CONTENIDOS / TABLE OF CONTENTS Agradecimientos / Acknowledgements ............................................................................ 7 Resumen ........................................................................................................................................ 11 1. Introducción general ......................................................................................................... 25 1.1—Antecedentes históricos ........................................................................................................ 29 1.2—Contribuciones recientes ...................................................................................................... 30 1.3—Posición filogenética del phylum Sipuncula ........................................................................ 31 1.4—Distribución del phylum Sipuncula ..................................................................................... 33 1.5—El Phylum Sipuncula en el Mediterráneo español ...............................................................35 1.6—Aspectos morfológicos...........................................................................................................35 1.7—Aspectos ecológicos .............................................................................................................. 36 1.8—Valor comercial ..................................................................................................................... 38 1.9—Justificación y objetivos ....................................................................................................... 39 2. First record of the sipunculan worm Phascolion caupo Hendrix 1975 in the Mediterranean Sea ....................................................................................................... 41 2.1—Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 43 2.2—Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 43 2.3—Materials and methods ........................................................................................................ 44 2.4—Results and discussion ......................................................................................................... 44 2.5—Key to the genus Phascolion in the Mediterranean Sea ...................................................... 47 3. Soft-bottom Sipuncula from San Pedro del Pinatar (western Mediterranean): influence of anthropogenic impacts and sediment characteristics on their distribution .......................................................................... 49 3.1—Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 51 3.2—Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 51 3.3—Material and methods ...........................................................................................................53 3.3.1 Study area and sampling design ................................................................................53 3.3.2 Laboratory analysis ................................................................................................... 54 3.3.3 Data processing ........................................................................................................... 55 3.4—Results .................................................................................................................................. 56 3.5—Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 60 4. Distribution of Sipuncula in the Gulf of Valencia and Cape Nao (western Mediterranean) ..................................................................................................................... 63 4.1—Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 65 4.2—Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 65 4.3—Material and methods .......................................................................................................... 66 4.3.1 Study area and sampling design ............................................................................... 66 4.3.2 Laboratory analysis ................................................................................................... 66 4.3.3 Species identification................................................................................................... 67 4.3.4 Statistical analysis ...................................................................................................... 67 4.4—Results .................................................................................................................................
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