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Distributional Patterns of Polychaeta in the Alfaques Inlet (Ebro River Delta; Western Mediterranean): Faunistic and Coenotic Analysis of an Estuarine System

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Distributional Patterns of Polychaeta in the Alfaques Inlet (Ebro River Delta; Western Mediterranean): Faunistic and Coenotic Analysis of an Estuarine System BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE, 48(2): 369-375, 1991 DISTRIBUTIONAL PATTERNS OF POLYCHAETA IN THE ALFAQUES INLET (EBRO RIVER DELTA; WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN): FAUNISTIC AND COENOTIC ANALYSIS OF AN ESTUARINE SYSTEM R. Capaccioni-Azzati, S. Villora-Moreno, A. M. Garcia-Carrascosa and F. J. Torres-Gavila ABSTRACT Polychaetous annelids associated with soft bottoms in the Alfaques inlet (Ebro river Delta, western Mediterranean) were studied to evaluate species composition and spatial distribution by cluster classification and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Spatial distribution by PCA explains more than 63% of the variance through seven axes. Cluster classification using physicochemical parameters distinguished two main assemblages, one extending through central inlet's corridor, deeper than 2 m with less than 60% sand, and a second shallower with sand content greater than 60%. Cluster classification identified four distinct groups. The first group comprised sampling stations in the outer sector with only infaunal species ubiq- uitous in soft bottoms. The second group can be considered as a subgroup of the previous assemblage with infaunal species typical of polluted sediments. A third set presented a diverse fauna and with could not be characterized from the coenotic standpoint. The fourth group possessed more than 20 species, none of which was found in stations belonging to the former groups. The Alfaques inlet an estuarine system with an area of 50 km2 and a maximum depth of 10 m opens to the sea by a narrow (3 km wide) opening to the SW (Fig. I). Although essentially marine in nature with a mean annual salinity of 350/00 (Camp et al., 1985), it often exhibits salinity values down to 20-300/00 because of fluvial discharge (Perez and Camp, 1986). These values are low in relation to the typical Mediterranean salinity of 38.20/00. The sediments of the inlet vary from mud to fine and medium sand. Sandy sediments are found along the SW shore (south littoral bar). The muddy sediments are found mainly in the deepest central area of the inlet. The major aquatic macrophytes are Caulerpa prolifera in deep muddy sediments, and Cymodocea nodosa and Zostera nana in shallow sandy sediments along the south littoral bar. Two shallow coastal lagoons (2 m maximum depth) in the north shore, "La Encaiiizada" and "La Tancada," supply slightly brackish water « 30/(0) to the inlet through channels. In a previous report we presented preliminary data regarding the macrobenthos of the Alfaques inlet (Capaccioni-Azzati et al., 1990). Here we present results of a coenotic study of its polychaete fauna carried out through a quantitative analysis to obtain a distributional pattern based on both faunistic and environmental parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sampling. - Twenty two samples were taken with an anchor dredge, collecting 20-22 liters, or by hand at shallower stations (I m2 of surface sediment to 25 em depth) during two benthic surveys in September 1984 and April 1985. For fauna separation, samples were washed through a I-mm mesh screen. The material retained on the sieve was fixed in 5% formalin for subsequent analysis in the laboratory. Environmental parameters measured at each station included salinity, depth, percent sand, percent mud, percent silt, organic matter, and percent macrophyte cover. 369 370 BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE, VOL. 48, NO.2, 1991 N •• !;SSSI A am B c=J C SEA M E D I T ERR A N E A N ~D Figure I. Alfaques inlet showing position of the sampling stations and spatial distribution of poly- chaete assemblages according to coenotic analysis, Data Analysis.-For the statistical analysis, data were arranged in two matrices: (a) 22 stations x 93 species and (b) 21 stations x 7 environmental parameters. Species occurring only once were excluded from the first matrix to provide a more solid baseline for subsequent analyses. The abundance values of the species were standarized to obtain relative data (percent abundance of each species in each station) (Campbell, 1978) and transformed, to obtain normalized data, using the double root method (Field et aI., 1982). Two kinds of analyses were performed from the normalized data. A cluster analysis (UWPGMA) was made by calculating Pearson's correlation coefficients between stations. In addition, relative species abundance data were subjected to spatial ordination through PCA, plotting stations on the basis of the gradients indicated by the axes. Calculations were made by means ofSPSS/PC+ statistical integrated package. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A total of 124 species of polychaetes belonging to 32 families were collected. The most abundant families were Cirratulidae (11 species), Capitellidae, Phyl- lodocidae, Syllidae (10 species each), Paraonidae (9) and Maldanidae (7). A list of species collected can be found in Capaccioni-Azzati et al. (1990). Table 1 shows the main environmental factors for each sampling station. Two kinds of descriptors, physicochemical parameters and faunistic inventories, were used for the classification of stations through cluster analysis. The results obtained using physicochemical parameters showed the presence of two major affinity groups designated I and II (Fig. 2a). Group I extends through the central inlet's corridor, from the inner zone to the outer one, with depths greater than 2 m, always less than 60% sand and high proportion of organic matter (maximum 9.4%). Within this group, two subgroups can be detected. The first (Ia) includes stations located in three patches of deep muddy sediments away from the littoral coast and with an increasing degree of shelter (Fig. 1). The second subgroup (Ib) AZZATI ET AL.: MEDITERRANEAN POLYCHAETA DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS 371 Table I. Physicochemical parameters for sampling stations [Abbreviations: salinity (Sal), organic matter contents (OM), percent macrophytic cover (MACR)] Sal. Depth Sand Mud Silt OM MACR. <%.) (m) (%) <%) <%) (%) <%) C-5 38.4 10.0 9.4 74.8 15.8 6.8 0 B-5 38.3 7.0 37.3 47.7 12.5 5.8 0 D-5 38.0 8.0 18.7 70.6 10.6 4.4 0 C-4 38.0 6.5 7.3 79.0 13.7 5.7 0 D-4 38.0 7.0 19.1 74.5 6.4 5.0 50 D-3 37.9 5.5 6.8 83.2 10.0 6.7 0 F-2 37.9 5.5 7.5 63.9 28.6 3.1 10 E-3 37.6 2.0 35.5 47.8 16.6 7.3 10 E-2 38.3 4.5 8.3 75.4 16.3 8.2 10 F-3 37.9 5.5 6.2 66.8 26.4 9.4 10 G-2 36.7 5.6 15.3 55.7 29.1 8.5 0 H-2 36.9 5.0 9.8 61.7 28.5 1.5 0 1-1 36.8 3.0 56.2 28.0 15.8 9.4 0 1-2 36.7 5.0 30.1 52.4 17.5 9.0 0 K-I'" 36.6 2.0 99.3 0.5 0.2 3.5 0 K-IAFRC 36.5 0.3 99.5 0.5 0.1 1.3 0 K-IZ 36.5 0.3 94.4 4.5 1.1 2.9 30 K-IC 36.5 0.3 99.0 0.9 0.1 0.5 20 H-3 38.0 0.2 96.3 3.1 0.6 1.9 70 E-4AFRC 38.2 0.4 97.6 2.1 0.2 1.5 0 E-4C 38.2 0.4 97.6 2.1 0.2 1.5 20 comprises stations closer to the shore with relatively high percentage (30-56%) of sand. Station D-4 is similar to Ia except that it possesses abundant macrophytes. This probably accounts for its separation by the classification procedure. Group II includes shallow stations with high sand content (>90%) and low proportion of organic matter (maximum 1.25%). Within this assemblage, one subgroup of stations (IIa) corresponds to the inner sector of the inlet, whereas the rest of the stations, subgroup lIb, are located both in the inner zone and in the outer one. Cluster analysis based on species profiles shows four relatively well-character- ized groups (Fig. 2b). The first one (A), includes all the stations located in the outer sector of the inlet. Dominant species include: Diopatra neapolitana, Laonice cirrata, Poecilochaetous serpens, Aricidea assimilis, Notomastus aberans, N. for- mianus, N. latericius, Ampharete acutifrons, Chone duneri and Terebellides stroe- mi. All are typical and exclusive infaunal species, ubiquitous in soft bottoms with occasional occurrences on hard bottoms. They are mostly surface and subsurface deposit feeders with one suspension feeder (c. duneri) (Fauchald and Jumars, 1979). The second group (B), could be considered as a subgroup of A. Like the previous assemblage, it consists of infaunal species of muddy sediments, but the most abundant species are characteristic of polluted areas: Chaetozone setosa, Cirratulus filiformis, Tharyx marioni and Cossura soyeri. Some of them (T. marioni and C. filiformis) are associated with hard substrata (photophilic algae, biogenous con- cretions in hard substrata, and others). Most of these species are motile surface detritivores and motile subsurface burrowers (Fauchald and Jumars, 1979). The third set of stations (C) belongs to a heterogeneous sector with different depths, and a diversity of bottoms with or without macrophytic cover. High environmental instability is caused by flow from rice field irrigation canals that 372 BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE, VOL. 48, NO.2, 1991 on '" 0 '" • i on " ..•• ~ u • ..•~" 0 C· ." -= ·" on a:"• 110 0 u :E a: 11. 0 a. U ~ on on N U U •• .. N ~ '" .. .. 0 U 0 '" J:'" •• 11.'" 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