SPONGE (PORIFERA) SPECIES DISTRIBUTED IN IZMIR BAY AND ITS VICINITY
Project no. 1145 · Status: Kapanmış · 2016
Summary
This study was performed to determine the taxonomic, ecological and distributional features of sponges (Phylum: Porifera) species distributed in and around İzmir Bay. Within this framework, samplings were collected at 10 coastal and 4 offshore stations of different depths and biotopes. Benthic samplings were performed by scuba-diving and snorkelling in coastal stations and by bottom-trawling at offshore stations. As a result of the faunistic analysis of the samples, a total of 82 species belonging to 3 classes, 17 ordo and 36 families were determined, of which 5 species were new to the Aegean Sea, 4 to the Eastern Mediterranean, 11 to the coasts of Turkey. In the investigated area, Chondrosia reniformis (%78), Petrosia (Petrosia) ficiformis (64%), Phorbas tenacior (64%), Sarcotragus foetidus (64%), Chondrilla nucula (57%), Crambe crambe (57%), Agelas oroides (%50), and Fasciospongia cavernosa (%50) have the highest frequency index values at coastal stations. Among the biotopes, stony/rocky communities were characterized by the highest number of species (47 species), whereas communites of Clodecera caespitosa was represented by the lowest number of species (1 species). The majority of sponge species (61 species) were encountered at the depth interval 10-20m. Among the sponges identified, Paraleucilla magna is an invasive alien species for the Mediterranean Sea. The majority of species (66 species) found in investigated area are the species of Atlanto–Mediterranean origin.