Search results for "Habit"

Contribution of planktonic and benthic food sources to the diet of the reef-forming vermetid gastropod Dendropoma petraeum in the western Mediterrane…

2012

Abstract In the Mediterranean Sea, the vermetid Dendropoma petraeum (Monterosato, 1884) forms highly biodiverse reefs that have received increasing attention in recent years although very little is known about the food habit of this species. The main goal of this study was to describe the trophic role of planktonic and benthic food sources for D. petraeum . Specimens from three morphological zones of the reef (inner edge, cuvette and outer edge) at two sites with different wave exposure along the north-western coast of Sicily (Italy; western Mediterranean) were compared for δ 13 C and δ 15 N. Isotopic determinations were also carried out on potential food sources identified in epilithon, re…

The genus Ruppia L. (Ruppiaceae) in the Mediterranean region: An overview

2015

Abstract This paper reviews the current knowledge on the diversity, distribution and ecology of the genus Ruppia L. in the Mediterranean region. The genus Ruppia, a cosmopolitan aquatic plant complex, is generally restricted to shallow waters such as coastal lagoons and brackish habitats characterized by fine sediments and high salinity fluctuations. In these habitats Ruppia meadows play an important structural and functional role. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of 16 haplotypes in the Mediterranean region, one corresponding to Ruppia maritima L., and the others to various morphological forms of Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande, all together referred to as the “R. cirrhosa s.l. co…

Predictive mechanistic bioenergetics to model habitat suitability of shellfish culture in coastal lakes

2014

Quantitative tools based on mechanistic modelling of functional traits able to enhance the sustainability of aquaculture and most other human activities (i.e. reducing the likelihood of detrimental impacts optimising productions), are especially important factors in the decision to site aquaculture facilities in coastal lakes, ponds and lagoons and, in the case of detrimental impact, to adopt mitigation measures. We tested the ability of mechanistic functional trait based models to predict life history traits of cultivable shellfish in shallow coastal lakes. Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) models were run to generate spatially explicit predictions of Mytilus galloprovincialis life history (LH) …

Seagrass detritus as marine macroinvertebrates attractor

2022

Seagrasses colonise coastal areas worldwide. Despite their high primary production, a considerable proportion becomes detritus that can be used as food, physical habitat and occasional or permanent shelter by several benthic macroinvertebrates. In turn, macroinvertebrates can contribute to regulating seagrass decomposition, and represent an important trophic link between primary producers and higher consumers. Nonetheless, several factors could modify colonizer responses to this habitat. In this study, we tested if colonisation of the seagrass detritus of Zostera noltei Hornemann, 1832 was related to substrate availability rather than food and whether the colonising assemblages were similar…

Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea as a potential source of organic matter for benthic consumers: evidences from a stable isotope analysis.

2008

Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea has been invading various types of substrates in wide areas throughout the Mediterranean Sea. However, the effects of the distribution of this alga on zoobenthos are scanty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of C. racemosa invasion on the feeding habits of some zoobenthic taxa inhabiting the upper infralittoral rocky shores. This was done by identifying the isotopic N and C ratios of several potential food sources and testing differences in isotope composition among the taxa collected from areas invaded and not-invaded areas by C. racemosa. Results suggest that C. racemosa detritus was a significant food source for the polychaete Syllis pro…

Borer polychaetes in seagrass sheaths: a shelter or a trophic relationship? Preliminary results based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes

2009

Agricoltura estensiva e comunità dei rapaci in Sicilia

2009

Nest building in a Mediterranean wrasse (Symphodus ocellatus): are the algae used randomly chosen or actively selected?

2014

To increase their reproductive success, fish species have evolved various strategies, including both simple processes and more complex mechanisms that involve parental care by nest-building. In Symphodus ocellatus, a species that lives in rocky infralittoral zones of the Mediterranean Sea, during the reproductive period, the male builds a nest within a hole or crevice using fragments of algae and/or sand particles. Data on the nesting activity of wrasses are rare, and previous descriptions regarding the algal composition of nests have provided conflicting results. In this regard, it is unclear whether territorial males actively select algal species for nest construction or algal choice is r…

Environmental Conditions along Tuna Larval Dispersion: Insights on the Spawning Habitat and Impact on Their Development Stages

2022

Estimated larval backward trajectories of three Tuna species, namely, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus, Linnaeus, 1758), Bullet Tuna (Auxis Rochei, Risso, 1801) and Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga, Bonnaterre, 1788) in the central Mediterranean Sea, were used to characterize their spawning habitats, and to assess the impact of changes due to the major environmental parameters (i.e., sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration) on larval development during their advection by surface currents. We assumed that the environmental variability experienced by larvae along their paths may have influenced their development, also affecting their survival. Our results showed that the …

LE BIOCOSTRUZIONI MARINE IN MEDITERRANEO. LO STATO DELLE CONOSCENZE SUI REEF A VERMETI

2009

Vermetid reefs are among the more important bioconstruction of the Mediterranean Sea with a restricted distribution in the southern part of the basin. Their high heterogeneity and the associated biodiversity make their conservation a priority issue for the Mediterranean region