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SEM micrographs of protoconchs. A, Dendropoma leb- eche sp. nov. (from type locality, Cabo de Palos SE Spain); B, Dendropoma cristatum (San Vito Lo Capo, NW Sicily). Scale bars A = 300 μm; B = 400 μm.
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A previous molecular study has revealed that the Mediterranean reef-building vermetid gastropod Dendropoma petraeum comprises a complex of at least four cryptic species with non-overlapping ranges. Once specific genetic differences were detected , 'a posteriori' searching for phenotypic characters has been undertaken to differentiate cryptic specie...
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Context 1
... ( Fig. 3A): globular, covered by a thin and smooth periostracum, with a little over 1 1/8 whorls. Surface with fine and irregular transversal growth lines. It ranges in size from 580 to 720 µm in length and 425 to 550 μm in diameter. The nucleus of the protoconch measures from 240 to 300 µm in diameter. The limit between the protoconch and the ...
Context 2
... (Fig. 3B): globose, pale brown, about 800 µm in length and 680 µm in diameter. Surface initially smooth and then with axial ribs (approx. 9-12) regularly spaced. The protoconch of this species was illustrated by Scuderi et al. (1998: 286, fig. 2b), Scaperrotta et al. (2012: 70, as D. anguliferum), andMilazzo et al. (2014: 4, fig. 3). The ...
Context 3
... (Fig. 3B): globose, pale brown, about 800 µm in length and 680 µm in diameter. Surface initially smooth and then with axial ribs (approx. 9-12) regularly spaced. The protoconch of this species was illustrated by Scuderi et al. (1998: 286, fig. 2b), Scaperrotta et al. (2012: 70, as D. anguliferum), andMilazzo et al. (2014: 4, fig. 3). The operculum has been illustrated by Scaperrotta et al. (2012: 70, as D. ...
Context 4
... pieces of aggregates from Lavezzi Islands (S Corsica); Capri Island (Gulf of Naples); San Vito Lo Capo, Isola delle Femmine, Capo Milazzo, Acitrezza, Ognina di Siracusa (Sicily); Bahar ic Caq and Qawra (Malta). For the study of developmental features intracapsular development in live specimens from Lavezzi Islands (S Corsica) and Isola delle Femmine (N Sicily) were exam- ined. GenBank accession numbers EU495059- EU495067 (COI), EU495087-EU495095 (16S rRNA), EU495031- EU495039 (ITS) (Calvo et al . 2009). Bivonia petraea was described by Monterosato (1884) from Isola delle Femmine near Palermo (Sicily) as a replacement name for Vermetus glomeratus Bivo- na, 1832 [secondary junior homonym of Serpula glom- erata Linnaeus, 1758]. Nevertheless, Parenzan (1970) and Scuderi (1995) pointed out that Vermetus cristatus (Biondi, 1859) was a senior synonym of D. petraeum , and Parenzan (1970) accordingly used the name Bivonia cristata to designate the species in his book on the marine gastropods of the Mediterranean Sea. Indeed, Montero- sato (1884) commented the original description of Biondi (1859) and pointed out that “Se questa identificazione sarà accertata il nome dato dal Prof. Biondi, dovrà preva- lere al mio”. Later, Monterosato (1892) included Bivo- nia petraea among the synonyms of Vermetus cristatus in his monograph on the Mediterranean vermetids. Fur- thermore, Vermetus cristatus was the name used by the French School for this species (i.e. Pérès & Picard, 1952, Picard, 1954, Molinier, 1955, 1960). Nevertheless, the junior name Dendropoma petraeum is still being used in several legal lists of threatened species, such as in Ap- pendix II of the ASPIM protocol and in Appendix 2 of the Bern Convention (Relini, 1999). Since the name D. petraeum has been used to desig- nate at least four different cryptic species (Calvo et al ., 2009), we propose (according to Scuderi, 1995) to con- sider the name Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1859) as the valid name for the species of this complex from the central Mediterranean (Sicily as the type locality).. As shown by Scuderi (1995), this is, in a strict application of ICZN rules, the oldest available name for the species currently known as Dendropoma petraeum (Montero- sato, 1884) and has priority. Additionally, the name Den- dropoma cristatum has been used recently by Terlizzi et al. (2005). Original description of Vermetus cristatus Biondi, 1859: “Questo vermeto è speciale perché il più grande non giunge a quattordici millimetri nel suo maggior diametro misurato in massa: avvolgimenti costantemente tre, dis- tinti, ingrandendosi di molto l’ultimo. Il suo principale carattere è l’avere una cresta lungo il dorso, e d’essere molto rugoso con rughe lamelliformi avvicinate ed im- bricate, prodotte dall’accrescimento della conchiglia: lo che fa vedere, che la sua forma costante è una specie d’imbuto, che il mollusco come man mano va crescendo, così sovrappone l’uno su l’altro”. [This vermetid is spe- cial because the largest one reaches up to fourteen mil- limeters in its maximum diameter. The whorls are always three in number, distinct, the last one increasing abruptly. Its most outstanding character is the presence of a crest along the dorsal side and a very rugose surface due to the densely imbricate lamellar folds that are produced during shell growth. It seems that this invariable shell form is a kind of funnel and that the mollusc extends each over the previous one while growing]. Teleoconch: the shell is very variable, as in D. leb- eche , and virtually does not differ from that of the latter except in its size, which is somewhat larger: up to 4-5 mm in maximum outside whorl diameter, although shell aperture diameter in specimens from Malta is smaller and normally range between 3 and 4 mm (Azzopardi & Schembri, 1997). Protoconch (Fig. 3B): globose, pale brown, about 800 μm in length and 680 μm in diameter. Surface ini- tially smooth and then with axial ribs (approx. 9-12) reg- ularly spaced. The protoconch of this species was illus- trated by Scuderi et al . (1998: 286, fig. 2b), Scaperrotta et al . (2012: 70, as D. anguliferum ), and Milazzo et al . (2014: 4, fig. 3). The operculum has been illustrated by Scaperrotta et al . (2012: 70, as D. anguliferum ). Soft parts: adult specimens measure approximate- ly 2 cm in length (a colour photograph can be seen in D’Ancona et al., 2002: 778, fig. 1). Soft parts are closely similar to those of D. lebeche , therefore, only the most striking differences with the former species will be de- tailed. Mantle and mantle cavity: the anal orifice, like in D. lebeche , is a terminal dorso-ventral slit; however, in con- trast, the outer (left) lip of the anal orifice forms dorsally a long finger-like appendix which protrudes anteriorly from the anal orifice exceeding the width and height of the anal orifice (Fig. 6B). Male reproductive system: the male gonad lies near the digestive gland on the right side of the visceral mass, where it is enclosed by connective tissues. It is yellow- ish in colour, formed by tubular follicles which converge into a seminal vesicle running mid-ventrally along the visceral mass. Female reproductive system: the ovary, found in the same position as the testes, is creamy in colour and structurally compact (Vitturi et al ., 1997, and pers. obs.). The female reproductive system is grossly like in the pre- ceding species; however, in contrast to D. lebeche , the blind portion of the dorsal seminal receptacle is relatively longer and forms a long bean-shaped sac which extends detached from the albumen gland farther back from the ventral seminal receptacle (Fig. 12). There is also an ad- ditional seminal receptacle associated to the right lobe of the albumen gland forming a longitudinally oriented extension. Digestive system: like in the preceding species, but in D. cristatum the right salivary gland is divided into two lobes of different sizes, the smallest one forming a small branching mass above the buccal mass, the longest one with externally a vesicular surface extending poste- riorly, crossing the nerve ring and overlaying the loop of the anterior oesophagus of the trunk region. The intestine is relatively longer, and posteriorly it borders the kidney, running for a short tract backwards parallel to the style sac before turning at a right angle to the right. The pedal gland, like in D. lebeche , is voluminous filling roughly two-thirds of the body cavity at the level of the trunk re- gion. Radula: the radula is quite similar to that described in D. lebeche with a powerful trapezoidal central tooth with a strong median cusp flanked on either side by one lateral and two marginal teeth (Fig. 9B). The main differences between the two species is that in D. cristatum , the cut- ting edge of the rhachidian within the same individual is uniform (not polymorphic) and bears two or three strong secondary cusps on either side of the central cusp. This differs from that in D. lebeche , whose rhachidian has the cutting edge minutely serrated on either side of the central cusp or with a variable number of lateral denti- cles that tend to fuse into two to three secondary cusps. Additionally, the lateral and inner marginal teeth have a smaller number of secondary cusps, maximally three and two cusps in D. ...
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Citations
... Recent studies regarding genetic diversity and reproductive traits (Calvo et al., 2009;Templado et al., 2016;Usvyatsov & Galil, 2012) have shown that D. petraeum (Monterosato, 1884), previously considered a single species endemic to the warmest parts of the Mediterranean Sea, is in fact a complex of at least four cryptic species with a clear west-east geographic separation coinciding with the sub-basins of the Mediterranean Sea (Calvo et al., 2009). The newly-detected genetic differences led Templado et al., (2016) to an 'a posteriori' search for phenotypic characters that may enable the differentiation of the cryptic species and to formally describe and name them. ...
... Recent studies regarding genetic diversity and reproductive traits (Calvo et al., 2009;Templado et al., 2016;Usvyatsov & Galil, 2012) have shown that D. petraeum (Monterosato, 1884), previously considered a single species endemic to the warmest parts of the Mediterranean Sea, is in fact a complex of at least four cryptic species with a clear west-east geographic separation coinciding with the sub-basins of the Mediterranean Sea (Calvo et al., 2009). The newly-detected genetic differences led Templado et al., (2016) to an 'a posteriori' search for phenotypic characters that may enable the differentiation of the cryptic species and to formally describe and name them. These efforts yielded the designation of three Dendropoma species: Dendropoma lebeche Templado, Richter & Calvo, 2016 (Western Mediterranean clade), Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1857) (Sicilian-Tyrrhenian clade) and Dendropoma anguliferum (Monterosato, 1878) (Levantine Sea clade) while a fourth putative species (Ionian-Aegean clade) still remains pending description (Templado et al., 2016). ...
... The newly-detected genetic differences led Templado et al., (2016) to an 'a posteriori' search for phenotypic characters that may enable the differentiation of the cryptic species and to formally describe and name them. These efforts yielded the designation of three Dendropoma species: Dendropoma lebeche Templado, Richter & Calvo, 2016 (Western Mediterranean clade), Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1857) (Sicilian-Tyrrhenian clade) and Dendropoma anguliferum (Monterosato, 1878) (Levantine Sea clade) while a fourth putative species (Ionian-Aegean clade) still remains pending description (Templado et al., 2016). ...
After three decades of sharp decline in the Dendropoma populations in Israel and genuine concern for their extinction, we affirm the reappearance of the gregarious gastropod Dendropoma anguliferum on abrasion platforms in the Carmel coast (Northern Israel). A visual survey conducted during December 2020 and February 2021 along the rims of abrasion platforms in the Carmel coast area revealed 195 living clusters of live D. anguliferum. DNA sequences from tissue samples unambiguously supported the identity of our material as the Levantine Sea member D. anguliferum of the Dendropoma petraeum species complex, with 99-100% identity to sequences obtained from D. anguliferum from Southern Lebanon.
... These biogenic reefs are elevated structures composed of calcareous outer skeletons of marine tube-secreting gastropods belonging to the family Vermetidae and associated with the encrusting red alga Neogoniolithon brassica-florida (Harvey) Setchell & Mason (1943) (Calvo et al., 1998;Chemello & Silenzi, 2011). Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1859) is the main vermetid reef-builder species in the central Mediterranean (Templado et al., 2016). This species is the Sicilian-Tyrrhenian lineage of the Dendropoma petraeum-complex (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda) which includes four cryptic species with non-overlapping distributions within the Mediterranean Sea (Calvo et al., 2009). ...
In the Maltese Islands, insufficient attention has been paid to vermetid reefs, endemic Mediterranean bioconstructions widely distributed along the southern part of the basin. As a result, this is a largely-overlooked coastal ecosystem despite the multitude of ecosystem services it provides. The perennial urban development in the Maltese Islands calls for the adoption of urgent action to protect coastal habitats, in particular bioconstructions that increase biodiversity and contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change. The objective of our study was to extensively document the presence and typology of the vermetid reef ecosystems along the coast of Malta and Gozo, assessing the occurrence of putative anthropogenic threats on the same ecosystem. Quantitative measurements were additionally taken to morphologically characterize the recorded bioconstructions. Furthermore, we tested the human pressure effect on the density of vermetid individuals and associated biodiversity. "True" trottoirs were only documented along the southeast coast of Malta, where unfortunately land reclamation projects are expected to be implemented. Although no direct relation between a number of assessed human activities and the density of vermetid individuals was reported in the current study, we suggest the conduction of further studies to investigate the influence of specific disturbances on the conservation status of this ecosystem. This study expands the existing knowledge on the status of vermetid reefs in the Maltese Islands and calls for management and conservation actions to preserve this bioconstruction.
... Some of these organisms live in a very narrow zone around the MSL. A vertical accuracy of ±10 cm was reported for vermetid rims (Dendropoma petraeum species complex, Templado et al., 2016), whereas a vertical accuracy of about 10-20 cm is common for L. lichenoides rims. These organisms are often referred to as Fixed Biological Indicators, and they can be used as an independent and reliable relative sea-level indicator (Laborel and Laborel-Deguen, 2005;Schiaparelli et al., 2006). ...
Vertical movements of the solid Earth surface reflect crustal deformation and deep mantle related phenomena. For Holocene times, coastlines displaced from the present mean sea-level are often used together with past relative sea-level (RSL) prediction models to decipher the vertical deformational field.
Along the coastline from southwest Turkey eastward to Israel and Cyprus, field data that constrain Holocene vertical movements are already published, leaving a gap only along the Mediterranean coast of the Central Anatolian Plateau (CAP). Based on new field observations between Alanya and Adana (Mersin, southern Turkey), together with AMS ¹⁴C dating, we fill that gap, allowing for the construction of a continuous overview of Holocene vertical differential movements along the Eastern Mediterranean coast. We apply the most recent Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) models to correct for the glacio-hydro isostatic component of the RSL. Different solutions from the ICE-6G(VM5a) and ICE-7G(VM7) models (developed by W.R. Peltier and co-workers at the Toronto University), and a GIA model developed by K. Lambeck and collaborators at the Australian National University, have been applied to 200 middle-to-late Holocene RSL markers.
Starting from southwest Turkey, we find subsidence between −0.9 mm/yr and − 2.3 mm/yr, corroborating estimates from previous studies. Velocities from the new markers along the CAP Mediterranean coast are positive, ranging between 0.9 and 1.5 mm/yr. These two first blocks are separated by a sharp velocity jump, occurring along the Isparta Angle Fault System one. Such high vertical velocities for the CAP southern margin were predicted by recently published papers that report a rapid uplift phase that peaked during themiddle to late Pleistocene. Moving to the east, velocities are also positive, from 0.2 to 0.6 mm/yr along the coast between the Hatay Gulf and southern Lebanon. The highly variable velocity along the Lebanese sector is likely due to co-seismic deformation along the Lebanese Restraining Bend (LRB) faults. To the south, in contrast, the Israeli coast shows stability, according to some unique archaeological RSL markers named piscinae, whereas other markers indicate slow subsidence (−0.2 mm/yr on average). Hence, another velocity jump of at least 0.5 mm/yr is recognizable between Israel and Lebanon. This jump is probably associated with mapped, active tectonic structures. In Northern Cyprus, the only Holocene sea-level marker confirms the near zero vertical velocity values already obtained for the MIS 5e marine terrace. Therefore, a vertical velocity jump occurs between stable Northern Cyprus and the uplifting CAP southern margin, although they occur on the same overriding plate of the Eastern Mediterranean subduction system. High-angle normal faults at the northern margin of the Adana-Cilicia Basin could explain these strongly distinct late Holocene vertical velocity fields.
These results depict a complex framework of independently moving crustal blocks, with kinematic separation along well-known regional fault zones. The drivers of the block movements could be related either to regional tectonics, as it is probably the case for the LRB coast, or to mantle dynamics, such as for the uplifting Turkish sector, where deeper processes should be considered.
... Two rocky intertidal habitats are globally most abundant or most densely occurring in the Levantine Basin: vermetid reefs (Safriel, 1975;Chemello and Silenzi, 2011) and beachrocks (Vousdoukas et al., 2007). Vermetid reefs (also known as 'abrasion platforms') are biogenic reefs that form in warm temperate or tropical seas in areas where the coastal rocks are soft and erodible, and where sedentary, aggregating vermetid gastropods (Dendropoma anguliferum [Templado et al., 2016] sensu lato and Vermetus triquetrus) exist. In the Mediterranean, where the intertidal zone is usually narrow due to a microtidal regime, with a maximum tidal amplitude ca. ...
Interactions in the Marine Benthos - edited by Stephen J. Hawkins August 2019
... This conservative approach will underestimate species diversity in cases of morphologically cryptic species. However, it is not infrequent that so-called "cryptic" species revealed by molecular data, upon closer scrutiny yield shell characters that support the molecular results (e.g., Delicado and Ramos, 2012;Templado et al., 2016;Fedosov et al., 2017). Here we found no such evidence (Fig. 4G-L). ...
Juga is a genus of freshwater gastropods distributed in Pacific and Interior drainages of the Pacific Northwest from central California to northern Washington. The current classification has relied heavily on features of the shell, which vary within and across drainages, and often intergrade without sharp distinctions between species. The only previous molecular analysis included limited population sampling, which did not allow robust assessment of intra- versus interspecific levels of genetic diversity, and concluded almost every sampled population to be a distinct OTU. We assembled a multilocus mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear gene (ITS1) dataset for ∼100 populations collected across the range of the genus. We generated primary species hypotheses using ABGD with best-fit model-corrected distances and further explored our data, both individual gene partitions and concatenated datasets, using a diversity of phylogenetic and species delimitation methods (Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood estimation, StarBEAST2, bGMYC, bPTP, BP&P). Our secondary species delimitation hypotheses, based primarily on the criterion of reciprocal monophyly, and informed by a combination of geography and morphology, support the interpretation that Juga comprises a mixture of geographically widespread species and narrow range endemics. As might be expected in taxa with low vagility and poor dispersal capacities, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed highly structured populations with up to 80% of the observed genetic variance explained by variation between populations. Analyses with bGMYC, bPTP, and BP&P appeared sensitive to this genetic structure and returned highly dissected species hypotheses that are likely oversplit. The species diversity of Juga is concluded to be lower than presently recognized, and the systematics to require extensive revision. Features of the teleoconch considered significant in species-level and subgeneric classification were found to be variable within some species, sometimes at a single site. Of a number of potentially new species identified in non-peer reviewed reports and field guides, only one was supported as a distinct OTU.
... , where their reefs or platforms are built up by a complex of four cryptic species, all previously named Dendropoma petraeum (Monterosato, 1884) (Fig. 4A). Templado et al. (2016) split the old taxon 76 D. petraeum into four species, two of which are widespread along the Italian coasts: Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1859) in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and Dendropoma sp., a still unnamed species, in the Ionian Sea and the Salento Peninsula(Templado et al., 2016). ...
Marine bioconstructions are biodiversity-rich, three-dimensional biogenic structures, regulating key ecological functions of benthic ecosystems worldwide. Tropical coral reefs are outstanding for their beauty, diversity and complexity, but analogous types of bioconstructions are also present in temperate seas. The main bioconstructions in the Mediterranean Sea are represented by coralligenous formations, vermetid reefs, deep-sea cold-water corals, Lithophyllum byssoides trottoirs, coral banks formed by the shallow-water corals Cladocora caespitosa or Astroides calycularis, and sabellariid or serpulid worm reefs. Bioconstructions change the morphological and chemicophysical features of primary substrates and create new habitats for a large variety of organisms, playing pivotal roles in ecosystem functioning. In spite of their importance, Mediterranean bioconstructions have not received the same attention that tropical coral reefs have, and the knowledge of their biology, ecology and distribution is still fragmentary. All existing data about the spatial distribution of Italian bioconstructions have been collected, together with information about their growth patterns, dynamics and connectivity. The degradation of these habitats as a consequence of anthropogenic pressures (pollution, organic enrichment, fishery, coastal development, direct physical disturbance), climate change and the spread of invasive species was also investigated. The study of bioconstructions requires a holistic approach leading to a better understanding of their ecology and the application of more insightful management and conservation measures at basin scale, within ecologically coherent units based on connectivity: the cells of ecosystem functioning.
... Current research works are mainly focused on the reproductive biology of vermetid species from different areas along the Mediterranean coasts (e.g., Spain [14], Italy [15], Israel [16,17], western and central Mediterranean [18]). Conversely, there are few studies regarding fauna associated with the vermetid bioconstructions. ...
... The main purpose of the present study is therefore to investigate the role of the vermetid bioconstructions, formed by the endemic prosobranch Dendropoma lebeche Templado, Richter and Calvo 2016, in modeling the structural and functional (trophic) diversity of the associated mollusc assemblage along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. ...
Dendropoma lebeche is a prosobranch gastropod belonging to the family Vermetidae, which calcifies its shell on hard substrates in dense aggregates, forming biogenic constructions along the western Mediterranean intertidal habitat. It is an important ecosystem engineer and, due to its ecological value, is protected by international convention. The aim of this study is to investigate the mollusc composition and diversity occurring within Spanish vermetid bioconstructions. During the late summer 2013, three distant sites along the Mediterranean coast of Spain were sampled by scraping off the vermetid shells to study their associated assemblages. A total of 600 molluscs were identified within the classes of Polyplacophora (four species), Gastropoda (35 spp.) and Bivalvia (18 spp.). Multivariate analyses revealed significant differences in composition and trophic diversity of mollusc assemblages among the three sites, highlighting a clear geographical gradient. Overall, both herbivores (grazers and deposit feeders) and omnivores were the quantitatively dominant trophic groups, while carnivores (predators and ectoparasites) were very scarce. Our results point out that mollusc assemblages associated with vermetid bioconstructions are rich and diversified, both in populations structure and trophic diversity, confirming the important role of vermetid gastropods as ecosystem engineers and biodiversity enhancers in shallow coastal waters.
... Las plataformas de vermétidos prosperan en ambientes templado-cálidos y subtropicales (Safriel, 1974). En el caso mediterráneo, estas situaciones se dan, sobre todo, en su parte oriental, pero también en las zonas más meridionales de la cuenca occidental (Chemello, 2009;Templado et al., 2016;Milazzo et al., 2016). En la Iberia mediterránea, las mayores formaciones de vermétidos aparecen a partir de la provincia de Alicante y hasta la zona de Almería, coincidiendo con cierta riqueza de sustratos rocosos sedimentarios y que permiten un buen desarrollo de las plataformas de abrasión (Lillo-Carpio, 1980;Ramos et al., 2008;Templado et al., 2016) (Fig. 1 y Fig. 2). ...
... En el caso mediterráneo, estas situaciones se dan, sobre todo, en su parte oriental, pero también en las zonas más meridionales de la cuenca occidental (Chemello, 2009;Templado et al., 2016;Milazzo et al., 2016). En la Iberia mediterránea, las mayores formaciones de vermétidos aparecen a partir de la provincia de Alicante y hasta la zona de Almería, coincidiendo con cierta riqueza de sustratos rocosos sedimentarios y que permiten un buen desarrollo de las plataformas de abrasión (Lillo-Carpio, 1980;Ramos et al., 2008;Templado et al., 2016) (Fig. 1 y Fig. 2). ...
... Recientemente, se ha descubierto que el vermétido cuantitativamente más importante en la génesis de estas estructuras (Dendropoma petraeum, Monterosato 1892) es, en realidad, un complejo de especies con distribuciones no solapadas, y que prosperan en distintas regiones del Mediterráneo (Calvo et al., 2015;Templado et al., 2016). En el caso ibérico, se trata de Dendropoma lebeche Templado, (Richter y Calvo, 2016), un endemismo mediterráneo que parece limitarse a la península ibérica y al Norte de África (datos que deben tomarse con precaución al no existir una cartografía exhaustiva). ...
The abrasion platforms with vermetids and red calcareous algae are characteristic of the
warm southern Mediterranean and make up a noteworthy landscape. In these platforms
we find a large amount of species, which take advantage of the specific conditions in these
particular environments. These ecosystems are very much present on the coasts of the
Iberian Southeast but they are still not well known. In this article, their structure and value
as ecological and paleoecological indicators are described. The main natural drivers in
determining their composition and dynamics, together with the anthropic ones, which can
even threaten their existence, are analysed as well. Finally, information about their current
protection status is given.
... , where their reefs or platforms are built up by a complex of four cryptic species, all previously named Dendropoma petraeum (Monterosato, 1884) (Fig. 4A). Templado et al. (2016) split the old taxon D. petraeum into four species, two of which are widespread along the Italian coasts: Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1859) in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and Dendropoma sp., a still unnamed species, in the Ionian Sea and the Salento Peninsula(Templado et al., 2016). ...
Marine bioconstructions are biodiversity-rich, three-dimensional biogenic structures, regulating key ecological functions of benthic ecosystems worldwide. Tropical coral reefs are outstanding for their beauty, diversity and complexity, but analogous types of bioconstructions are also present in temperate seas. The main bioconstructions in the Mediterranean Sea are represented by coralligenous formations, vermetid reefs, deep-sea cold-water corals, Lithophyllum byssoides trottoirs, coral banks formed by the shallow-water corals Cladocora caespitosa or Astroides calycularis, and sabellariid or serpulid worm reefs. Bioconstructions change the morphological and chemicophysical features of primary substrates and create new habitats for a large variety of organisms, playing pivotal roles in ecosystem functioning. In spite of their importance, Mediterranean bioconstructions have not received the same attention that tropical coral reefs have, and the knowledge of their biology, ecology and distribution is still fragmentary. All existing data about the spatial distribution of Italian bioconstructions have been collected, together with information about their growth patterns, dynamics and connectivity. The degradation of these habitats as a consequence of anthropogenic pressures (pollution, organic enrichment, fishery, coastal development, direct physical disturbance), climate change and the spread of invasive species was also investigated.
The study of bioconstructions requires a holistic approach leading to a better understanding of their ecology and the application of more insightful management and conservation measures at basin scale, within ecologically coherent units based on connectivity: the cells of ecosystem functioning.
... Nonetheless, these systems have been poorly studied from an ecological and phycological perspective (Milazzo et al., 2016). In the Iberian Peninsula, shallow systems with well-developed vermetid platforms are found from the north of the province of Alicante south to that of Almería (Molinier & Picard, 1956;Ramos-Esplá, 1985;Ramos-Esplá et al., 2008;Templado et al., 2016) (Fig. 1). Data on the structure and dynamics of the phytobenthic communities inhabiting such platforms are scarce (Soto, 1987;Pena-Martín, 2002;Terradas-Fernández, 2014). ...
Abrasion platforms with vermetids shape unique seascapes and biotic assemblages that characterize several of the warm Mediterranean
coasts. The composition, structural and seasonal dynamics of the platforms’ phytobenthos were examined at two Southeast
Iberian locations through non-destructive sampling. The patterns observed were linked with environmental variables and grazers’
coverage, and we assessed their possible influence. Structural descriptors α-diversity and β-diversity were applied, pointing that
depth and season-related variables were the major influencing drivers. Higher α-diversity and β-diversity values during winter and
spring coincided with the production optimum of the community. A greater average water depth influences the abundance of both
midlittoral and infralittoral taxa. The strong resemblance between the phytobenthos of these vermetid platforms and that on similar
platforms in the Eastern and Central Mediterranean Sea suggests that these are affected by the same structuring mechanisms
