Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-mx8w7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-30T08:29:34.344Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An exceptional occurrence of Cavernularia pusilla (Anthozoa: Pennatulacea) off the Basque coast (south-east Bay of Biscay, north-eastern Atlantic)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Alvaro Altuna ,
Florencio Aguirrezabalaga  and
Julián Martínez
Alvaro Altuna*
Affiliation:
INSUB, Zemoria 12, Apdo. 3223, 20013 San Sebastián, Spain
Florencio Aguirrezabalaga
Affiliation:
INSUB, Zemoria 12, Apdo. 3223, 20013 San Sebastián, Spain
Julián Martínez
Affiliation:
INSUB, Zemoria 12, Apdo. 3223, 20013 San Sebastián, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Alvaro Altuna, INSUB, Zemoria 12, Apdo. 3223, 20013 San Sebastián, Spain email: altuna.alv@euskalnet.net
Get access

Abstract

An abundant population of the sea pen Cavernularia pusilla (Anthozoa: Pennatulacea), with up to 70 colonies m−2, has been found on soft bottoms off the Basque coast (south-east Bay of Biscay, north-east Atlantic). This species spreads in an area of several kilometres length, and its bathymetric distribution ranges between 35 and 85 m depth, reaching its highest densities at 45–55 m. Such a population is remarkable, considering the scarce available records of this species and its southern affinities. The geographic and bathymetric distributions of the species are revised and discussed.

Keywords

AnthozoaPennatulaceaCavernularia pusillaabundanceBay of Biscay

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 1 , January 2008 , e29
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

Altuna Prados, A. (1994) Estudio faunístico, ecológico y biogeográfico de los cnidarios bentónicos de la costa vasca. PhD thesis, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.Google Scholar
Birkeland, C. (1974) Interactions between a sea pen and seven of its predators. Ecological Monographs 44, 211–232.Google Scholar
Dollfus, R.Ph. (1938) Sur un octocoralliaire du genre Cavernularia, commun sur les fonds côtiers de l'Atlantique marocain. Travaux de la Station Zoologique de Wimereux 13, 243–265.Google Scholar
Fischer, P. (1875) Anthozoaires du département de la Gironde et des côtes du sud-ouest de la France. Actes de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux 30, 183–192.Google Scholar
Fischer, P. (1889) Note sur le Pavonaria quadrangularis et sur les Pennatulides des côtes de France. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France 14, 34–38.Google Scholar
Fischer, P. and Folin, L. de (1872) Note sur les dragages exécutés dans la fosse de Cap-Breton durant l'année 1871. Comptes Rendus des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences, Paris, séance du 11.3.1872, 74, 750–753.Google Scholar
Folin, L. de and Périer, L. (1875) Exploration bathométrique de la fosse de Cap-Breton. Campagne de 1871. In Folin, L. de and Périer, L. (eds) Les fonds de la mer, vol. 2. Paris: Savy, pp. 29–34.Google Scholar
Folin, L. de and Périer, L. (1879) Alcyonaires et Mollusques de Cap-Breton et des environs. In Folin, L. de and Périer, L. (eds) Les fonds de la mer, vol. 3. Paris: Savy, pp. 273–277.Google Scholar
Gili, J.M. and Pagès, F. (1987) Pennatuláceos (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) recolectados en la plataforma continental catalana (Mediterráneo occidental). Miscellània Zoològica 11, 25–39.Google Scholar
Gili, J.M., Ros, J.D. and Pagès, F. (1987) Types of bottoms and benthic Cnidaria from the trawling grounds (littoral and bathyal) off Catalonia (NE Spain). Vie et Milieu 37, 85–98.Google Scholar
Kükenthal, W. (1915) Pennatularia. Das Tierreich 43, 1–132.Google Scholar
Kükenthal, W. and Broch, H. (1911) Pennatulacea. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition “Valdivia” 1898–99, 13, 113–576, pls 1–17.Google Scholar
Lafont, A. (1868) Note pour servir à la faune de la Gironde, contenant la liste des animaux marins dont la présence à Arcachon a été constatée pendant les années 1867 et 1868. Actes de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux 26, 518–531.Google Scholar
Langton, R.W., Langton, E.W., Theroux, R. B. and Uzmann, J.R. (1990) Distribution, behavior and abundance of sea pens, Pennatula aculeata, in the Gulf of Maine. Marine Biology 107, 463–469.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
López-González, P. (1993) Taxonomía y zoogeografía de los antozoos del Estrecho de Gibraltar y áreas próximas. PhD thesis, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.Google Scholar
López-González, P., Gili, J.M. and Williams, G.C. (2000) On some veretillid pennatulaceans from the eastern Atlantic and western Pacific Oceans (Anthozoa: Octocorallia), with a review of the genus Cavernularia, and description of new taxa. Journal of Zoology 250, 201–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nobre, A. (1931) Contribuçoes para o estudo dos coelenterados do Portugal. Fauna Marinha do Portugal 1, 1–82.Google Scholar
Rallo, A., Gorostiaga, J.M., Saiz, J.I. and Isasi, I. (1988) Comunidades bentónicas del Abra de Bilbao y su entorno. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 29, 3–19.Google Scholar
Rice, A.L., Tyler, P.A. and Paterson, G.J.L. (1992) The Pennatulid Kophobelemnon stelliferum (Cnidaria: Octocorallia) in the Porcupine Seabight (north-east Atlantic Ocean). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 72, 417–434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tixier-Durivault, A. (1963) Alcyonacea et Pennatulacea de l'Afrique occidentale. Atlantide Reports 7, 63–76.Google Scholar
Williams, G.C. (1989) The pennatulacean genus Cavernularia Valenciennes (Octocorallia: Veretillidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 95, 285–310.Google Scholar
Williams, G.C. (1995) Living genera of the sea pens (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Pennatulacea): illustrated key and synopses. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 113, 93–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar