Moluscos recolectados con arte de arrastre en fondos blandos circalitorales y batiales del norte del mar de Alborán

Abstract

Molluscan assemblages of circalittoral and bathyal soft bottoms of the northern Alboran sea were studied from individuals collected with an otter trawl. Samples were collected in 191 hauls during four MEDITS-ES trawl surveys carried out in spring between 2012 and 2015. A total of 102 species, grouped in 55 families, was found at depths between 30-800 m. Abralia veranyi was the most abundant species, and Todarodes sagittatus and Illex coindetii were the most frequent ones. Multivariate analyses resulted in three faunistics assemblagea at different depth ranges: I) 30-200 m, II) 201-350 m, III) 351-800 m. The abundance, biomass and species richness decreased with depth. A clear difference is observed in the faunistic composition between the shelf and the continental slope with a sharp depletion from 350 m in the number of species as well as in the abundance and biomass