期刊
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
卷 28, 期 6, 页码 1317-1328出版社
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/aqc.2949
关键词
body size; bottom trawling; habitat preference; Hippocampus spp.; temporal persistence; underwater visual census
资金
- CoNiSMa
The aim of this study was to provide further knowledge of the ecological, spatial, and temporal distribution and life-cycle traits of the sympatric seahorse species Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus guttulatus. From 2011 to 2014, data were collected from 20 sites along the Apulian coast (Southern Italy) in order to cover a wide range of coastal marine, open water, and lagoon sites, from the surface to a depth of 48 metres. Seahorses were found at seven of the 20 sites investigated. Both species displayed temporal persistence, patchy distribution, and a high spatial demographic heterogeneity. This study revealed a smaller maximum size and size at maturity of H. guttulatus than has been reported elsewhere. Although it is possible that environmental factors are influencing the size of these animals, there may be genetic explanations, especially for lagoon populations. Despite the fragmented distribution and often low abundance found along the Apulian coast, some seahorse populations appear to be locally persistent and stable over time, suggesting that there is a need for appropriate location-specific conservation strategies. Not just maintaining but increasing the area of artificial substrates, which enhance habitat complexity and provide holdfasts, could represent a possible approach to help conserve marine littoral biodiversity and to protect endangered species in lagoons.
作者
我是这篇论文的作者
点击您的名字以认领此论文并将其添加到您的个人资料中。
推荐
暂无数据