Faunal turnover between meso- and infralittoral algal turf assemblages: A case study in a highly biodiverse Marine Protected Area of the northern Alboran Sea (W Mediterranean)

Abstract

The molluscan fauna inhabiting the algal turfs of mesolittoral rocky outcrops, dominated by the coralline alga Ellisolandia elongata, has been quantitatively analysed in a Marine Protected Area of Málaga, southern Spain (W Mediterranean). A total of 2520 mollusc specimens belonging to 46 species were identified. This taxocenosis was compared to that previously studied from the infralittoral level, where the alga Halopteris scoparia was prevailing and 4084 specimens belonging to 66 species of Mollusca were found. The species Pisinna glabrata, Skeneopsis planorbis, Nodulus spiralis and Tricolia miniata dominated the mesolittoral stage. The occurrence of congeneric species pairs (Tricolia miniata/Tricolia pullus, Nodulus spiralis/Nodulus contortus) which achieve high abundance in one of the levels and are scarce or absent in the other was striking. Therefore, the coralline algal turf in the lower part of the intertidal zone is not just an extension of the “Photophilous Algae” community but a benthic community of its own.