Zamponi, M.O., G.N. Genzano, F.H. Acuña & A.C. Excoffon, 1998. Studies of benthic cnidarian taxocenes along a transet off Mar del Plata (Argentina). Russian Journal of Marine Biology 24 1: 7-13.
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Zamponi, M. O.; Genzano, G. N.; Acuña, F. H.; Excoffon, A. C.
1998
Studies of benthic cnidarian taxocenes along a transet off Mar del Plata (Argentina
Russian Journal of Marine Biology
24(1): 7-13
Publication
This study deals with cnidarian taxocenes from the Argentine
Continental Shelf: their faunal composition, distribution, and
ecology. Benthic samples were obtained along a transect off the coast of Buenos Aires Province at depths of 36 to 507 m and using a Piccard-type dredge. The cnidarian specimens were separated in the laboratory into two groups: Hydrozoa (Eudendrium ramosum, Campanularia hincksii, C. agas, Obelia longa, O. longissima, Halecium beanii, Filellum antarcticum, Lafoea fruticosa, Sertularella conica, Symplectoscyphus subdichotomus, Synthecium robustum, Plumularia insignis, P. setacea, and Thecocarpus canepa) and Anthozoa (Sphincteractis sanmatiensis, Limnactinia nuda, Actinostola crassicornis, Antholoba achates, Choriactis laevis, Anthothoe chilensis, Bolocera kerguelensis, Isosycionis alba, Phlyctenanthus australis, Urticinopsis crassa, and Epiactis georgiana). Data were processed using Jaccard's index and cluster analysis. As a result, three main groups were discriminated
according to depth: the first one included all stations found
between 36 and 70 m and was consistent with the Argentine Biogeographical Province, the second included stations located between 80 and 200 m (Magellanic Biogeographical Province), and the last group was represented only by the deepest station at 507 m. The bathymetric and temperature range of each species is given. Substrata of biological origin used by hydropolyps were analyzed. Porifera and Polychaeta were predominant substrata for the first group of stations; the second showed Polychaeta, Bryozoa, and Hydrozoa as substrata; in the third group, only Anthozoa formed the substrate.
