Showing papers in "Arquipelago : Life and Marine Sciences in 2012"

New geographic distribution records for Northeastern Atlantic species from Peniche and Berlengas Archipelago

Abstract: During SCUBA dives and intertidal surveys carried out in 2006 and 2007 at Peniche and the Berlengas Archipelago (Portugal), undertaken as part of a research project with the objective of publishing an underwater marine guide, a photographic register of several species not yet recorded for the area was produced. Subsequent identification and bibliographic research confirmed that these records were made beyond the previously known geographic distribution boundaries for each of the species mentioned here.

The marine algal (seaweed) flora of the Azores: 4, further additions

Abstract: Eight records of seaweeds are reported new to the mid-Atlantic Azores archipelago. Coelothrix irregularis and Lejolisia sp. fall within their overall distributional range. Sebdenia rodrigueziana and Syringoderma floridana have their north-western limit of distribution there. The islands represent the western limit of occurrence for Antithamnionella boergesenii, Aphanocladia stichidiosa, Sebdenia dichotoma, and Codium effusum. The present and previous papers in this series reveal the extension in range distribution to the west of many of the new records found in the Azores, raising the question as to why the western Atlantic acts as a barrier to dispersal. The new records presented here increase the current total of species recorded on the Azores to 385 (55 Chlorophyta, 74 Heterokontophyta (Phaeophyceae), and 256 Rhodophyta), showing that this isolated island group supports a relatively rich benthic marine algal flora.

Notes on fauna associated with an opportunistic artificial reef near cold-water corals

Abstract: Artificial reefs (AR) of many different designs and materials have been widely used for various purposes, from habitat protection and enhancement to recreational diving (Polovina 1991; Bortone et al. 2011). With more than 250 ARs covered by scientific literature world-wide (Baine 2001), very few studies concern areas deeper than 60 metres, reflecting the majority of deployment and vertical depth limits for SCUBA operations. Concurrently, with the deepening of fisheries (Morato et al. 2006) and the advent of optical and submersible technology, the ecological importance of cold water coral (CWC) habitats has become the focus of many recent large research programs. These deep-water “habitat-building species” alter sediment deposition and provide complex structural habitat (Roberts et al. 2006), considered essential for diverse fish and invertebrate communities (e.g. Reed 2002). Opportunistic fish behaviour towards habitat is a relatively well known response from habitat complexity studies on shallow natural (Harding & Mann 2001), and artificial reefs (Gratwicke & Speight 2005). Observations of deep-water AR have demonstrated that local fish populations tend to utilise artificial structures similarly to other biological or geological reefs available (e.g. Koening et al. 2004; Husebø et al. 2002), even though differences may be found in comparison with natural reef fish communities (Clark & Edwards 1994). Thus, ARs can contribute to a better understanding on the use and importance of available habitats (Hixon & Beets 1989), while simplified structures can facilitate the observation of juvenile fish (Gorham & Alevizon 1989), usually hampered by the presence of larger fish (Ross & Quattrini 2007). This short communication provides a sporadic insight on the importance of a hard three-dimensional structure for deepwater fish near CWC. Fish size and behaviour inside the structure and in the surrounding area are described. Additionally, a list of biofouling macroorganisms found on the structure after one year of deployment is presented.

New data on armoured scale insects (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Diaspididae) from the Azores Islands

Abstract: The Azores are located about 1,600 km east of continental Europe (Portugal). The archipelago comprises nine volcanic islands spread throughout 600 km along a NW-SE axis, arranged in three groups: Eastern Group (Sao Miguel and Santa Maria), Central Group (Terceira, Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Pico and Faial) and Western Group (Flores and Corvo). The islands are the superficial expression of a much larger structure named Azores Plateau, with a triangular shape defined roughly by the 2000 m depth isobath. The Plateau is a complex tectonic region that encompasses the triple junction between the American, Eurasia and Nubian plates. One of the most important structures in the region is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), which crosses the plateau roughly in a north-south direction and separates the American Plate, where Flores and Corvo islands are located, from the other two plates where the rest of the islands are rooted. (Franca et al. 2009; Ribeiro 2011). The oldest island in the Azores Archipelago is Santa Maria, estimated to be between 8.12 and 3.2 Ma. S. Miguel is about 4 Ma. The Central Island Group presents younger ages than in the Oriental Island Group, reflecting a regional tendency for the westward migration of volcanism. Terceira Island presents the oldest known age, 3.52 Ma while Graciosa has a maximum of 2.5 Ma. The oldest known age in Faial and Pico islands are 0.73 Ma and 0.27 Ma, respectively. The islands located west of the MAR were also dated and Flores seems to be older with a maximum age of 2.2 Ma while Corvo could have approximately 1.5 Ma and seems to reflect a regional tendency for the eastward migration of volcanism (Ribeiro 2011). This short communication presents new records of four species of armoured scale insects (Diaspididae) which were recently collected from the Azores Islands. Two of these species, indicated below by an asterisk, are here reported for the first time from these islands. Voucher specimens of these records are deposited in the Coccoidea Collection of the first author. The scale insect species (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) currently known from the Azores are listed in ScaleNet (Ben-Dov et al. 2011) and this includes 34 species in 7 families, as follows, Coccidae (9 species), Dactylopiidae (1), Diaspididae (14), Eriococcidae (1), Monophlebidae (1), Ortheziidae (2) and Pseudococcidae (6 species). The 14 species of armoured scale insects listed in ScaleNet were as follows: Carulaspis juniperi (Bouche), Carulaspis minima (Signoret), Chrysomphalus dictyospermi (Morgan), Chrysomphalus pinnulifer (Maskell), Diaspis bromeliae (Kerner), Epidiaspis leperii (Signoret), Furchadaspis zamiae (Morgan), Hemiberlesia rapax (Comstock), Kuwanaspis bambusicola (Cockerell), Lepidosaphes beckii (Newman), Melanaspis

New data on the spatial distribution of endemic ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from Madeira Island

Abstract: Based on standardised sampling methods covering a large fraction of native forest on Madeira Island, new distribution data is reported for 33 species of endemic ground beetles. Most of these species have been found in new localities and their distribution range is now better known. Dromius angustus alutaceus Wollaston, 1857 was \"rediscovered\" after more than fifty years since the last known record and two rare Philorhizus species (P. conicipennis (Fauvel, 1905) and P. vieirai Mateu, 1957) were also located. Furthermore, two other arboreal endemics (Olisthopus ericae Wollaston, 1854 and O. maderensis Wollaston, 1854) were recorded from many new localities. This work represents a considerable improvement of the knowledge on the distribution of ground beetle species endemic to Madeira, hence contributing to future management plans targeting the conservation of endemic biota.

Alarm reaction and absence of alarm reaction to simulated predation on conspecifics in two temperate sea urchin species

Abstract: Wirtz, P. & J. Duarte 2012. Alarm reaction and absence of alarm reaction to simulated predation on conspecifics in two temperate sea urchin species.