Israel Journal of Zoology MEDITERRANEAN MOLLUSCA
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This article was downloaded by: [New York University] On: 24 May 2015, At: 23:47 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Israel Journal of Zoology Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tiee19 MEDITERRANEAN MOLLUSCA OF ISRAEL AND SINAI: COMPOSITION AND DISTRIBUTION A. Barash a & Z. Danin a a Department of Zoology, The George S. Wise Center for Life Sciences , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , 69978 , Israel Published online: 30 Apr 2013. To cite this article: A. Barash & Z. Danin (1982) MEDITERRANEAN MOLLUSCA OF ISRAEL AND SINAI: COMPOSITION AND DISTRIBUTION, Israel Journal of Zoology, 31:3-4, 86-118 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00212210.1982.10688524 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions Downloaded by [New York University] at 23:47 24 May 2015 ISRAEL JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Vol. 31, 1982, pp. 86-118 MEDITERRANEAN MOLLUSCA OF ISRAEL AND SINAI: COMPOSITION AND DISTRIBUTJON A. BARASH AND Z. DAN IN Department ofZoology, The GeorgeS. Wise Center for Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 Israel ABSTRACT A survey of the Mediterranean molluscan fauna of Israel and the Sinai Peninsula was undertaken and 702 species have been recorded: Caudofoveata - 2, Polyplacophora - 10; Gastropoda - 471; Scaphopoda - 8; Bivalvia - 190; Cephalopoda - 21. Most species were collected from the northern part of Israel. The intramediterranean represen tation of the species found in Israel and Sinai is as follows: the great majority, 601 species, were recorded from the Western Mediterranean, 424 species were from the Aegean Sea, 191 species from the Sea of Marmara, and only 99 species from the Black Sea. The extramediterranean representation is: from the Eastern Atlantic 515 species, mostly from the Ibero-Moroccan region, and 75 species from the Western Atlantic. SiXty seven Indo-Pacific species have been collected along the Mediterranean coasts of Israel and the Sinai Peninsula. The gastropods are mainly inhabitants of the inter tidal zone, the bivalves are numerous in the infralittoral zone of the continental shelf. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 86 Systematic Composition 89 Zoogeographical Distribution 95 Intra-Mediterranean Distribution 95 Distribution in the Atlantic 104 Indo-Pacific Mollusca in the Mediterranean 106 Downloaded by [New York University] at 23:47 24 May 2015 Malacofauna of the Suez Canal 109 Vertical Distribution 110 Intertidal Zone 111 Infralittoral Zone 112 Habitats Scantily Explored 114 Addendum 114 Acknowledgements 114 References 115 INTRODUCTION Topography The Mollusca treated here were collected from the Mediterranean coasts of Israel and Sinai, in the shore region and in the deeper water of the continental shelf, down to a depth of ca. 200 m. Received 3 Augqst 1981 and in revised form 25 October 1982 Vol. 31, 1982 MEDITERRANEAN MOLLUSCA 87 Fig. 1. Israel and Northern Sinai. The coastline, as shown in Figure J, is fairly straight in its northern part, and curves in the south towards the Suez Canal. The beach from the Suez Canal to Palmahim is essentially sandy, backed by both recent sand dunes and older dunes, mainly com prising calcareous hardened sandstones (kurkar). From Yafo (=Jaffa) northwards the sand dunes become scarce and the shore near the water line is dotted in many places Downloaded by [New York University] at 23:47 24 May 2015 with rocks. The continental shelf widens progressively from north to south, off Caesarea it is ca. 11 km wide and off Rafah, in the south, ca. 26 km. It is divided lengthwise into two strips, separated by one or several kurkar ridges arranged in patches, running parallel to the coast, ca. 2-3 km offshore. In the inner strip, with a water depth of 30-40 m, the bottom is composed mainly of quartz sands. In the outer strip which covers most of the continental shelf, the bottom is composed mainly of mud. To the west, the outer strip reaches a depth of 80-200 m where it meets the continental slope. Collecting The first report on the Mollusca of the Mediterranean coasts of Israel and Sinai was by H.C. Hart (1891). But the first regular collection was begun in the 1930's by the 88 A. BARASH AND Z. DANIN lsr. J. Zool. TABLE I Composition of the Mediterranean malacofauna of Israel (according to the list of Haas, 1937) Class No. of species Polyplacophora (= Loricata) 5 Gastropoda 133 Prosobranchia 121 Opisthobranchia 9 Pulmonata 3 Scaphopoda 4 Bivalvia(= Lamellibranchiata) 55 Cephalopoda 5 Total 202 late Prof. G. Haas of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Malacological research in Israel has been aided by publications on the Mediterranean Mollusca from neigh bouring countries: those of Pallary (1912) and Steuer {1939) in Egypt; Grovel and Moazzo {1931) and Pallary (1938) in Syria and Lebanon. These publications enabled a forecast of species expected in the Mediterranean waters of Israel and Sinai. In 1934, Aharoni published a list of 60 species from the shore between Ashqelon and the Rubin River. A comprehensive list presented by G. Haas (1937) in Boden heimer's "Prodromus Faunae Palestinae" contained 202 species of marine Mollusca from the Mediterranean shores of Israel (Table I). Other noteworthy lists are those by Carrnin (1946), Avnimelech and Boskovitz {1955), Lipkin and Safriel (1971), Yaron {1971, 1972), Nordsieck (1972, 1974) and Mienis {1972, 1973, 1976, 1977). Most species listed in these publications were collected as shells washed ashore or in shallow water accessible to shore collectors. Knowledge of the Mediterranean Mollusca of Israel increased after exploration of the infralittoral of the continental shelf. Many species were collected by the Sea Fisheries Research Station of Israel (SFRS) during the cruises of 1946-1950, headed Downloaded by [New York University] at 23:47 24 May 2015 by the late Dr. A. Wirszubski. The material was studied by Prof. Haas. His report lists 123 species collected by dredging with various gear from depths of 9-200 m and he also discusses bathymetric dispersal (Haas, 1951). Gottlieb (Gilat) (1959) reported on molluscs from the benthos in Haifa Bay with notes on ecology and zoogeography. The molluscs also constitute a considerable part of the invertebrates dealt with in his survey of the macrobenthic communities on the continental shelf {1964) in the southern section of the Israeli coast. The sea bed along the Mediterranean continental shelf of Israel and Sinai was intensively explored during 1967-1972 by the Joint Hebrew University of Jerusalem Smithsonian Institution Project (SLM) and in 1974-1977 by Tel Aviv University (TAU, NS). These inve$tigations yielded useful data on the vertical range and nature of the sea bed from which the Mollusca were collected. A considerable number of previously unrecorded species were found. Vol. 31, 1982 MEDITERRANEAN MOLLUSCA 89 A brief account of the collecting activities in the southern part of the Israel Medi terranean coast (Palmahim and Nizzanim) in January, May, July and October, 1977 follows. Mollusca were obtained from 11 sites in transects perpendicular to the coast (Palmahim A, 3 stations; Palmahim B, 4 stations; Nizzanim, 4 stations). Station positions were defmed by a Mini Ranger Radar aboard ship and two shore stations that provided exact bearing. Along each transect the bottom was sampled at four stations, at depths of 20, 35, 50 and 80 m (the 20 m station of Palmahim A was omitted). Each site was sampled 2 with a Petersen grab 0.1 m , triangular dredge with an arm of 0.6 m and beam-trawl with an iron frame 1.15 m wide. Samples were conventionally presorted and preserved on board, then brought to Tel Aviv University, where they were rewashed and re labelled. Identification The species identification was performed initially by J .R. Le B. Tomlin and Prof. G. Haas. The species they identified were recorded by Prof. Haas in a card catalogue kept in the mollusc collection of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During our prolonged survey of the Mediterranean Mollusca of Israel and Sinai, many species were identified for the first time, and previous identifications were revised by specialists. The results were consolidated in a comprehensive "Annotated List of the Mediterranean Mollusca of Israel and Sinai". The list contains data on taxonomy, habitat, abundance, and zoogeographical and vertical distribution of the species known up to now. The present paper is based essentially on data in this list (Barash & Danin, 1982). The information on zoogeographical distribution was drawn from the literature available to the authors and is probably incomplete.