Serpulids from Aegean Maine caves

What is it about?

This paper is a first contribution to the knowledge of serpulid diversity from marine caves of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. A total of 27 taxa were recorded in two submerged caves of Lesvos Island, in the Aegean Sea. A clear trend of variability was observed with serpulid abundance, specifically that of sciaphilic and deep-sea species, increasing inwards while the number of taxa and species diversity did not change significantly across the two caves. In the innermost sectors of the studied caves two types of bioconstructions were observed: (a) ‘coiled doughnuts’ of Protula, first recorded from Mediterranean caves; and (b) ‘biostalactites’ formed by serulids and other organisms previously unreported from the eastern Mediterranean. The results of the present study revealed new faunal elements and type of bioconstructions for Mediterranean marine caves, pointing to the need of further investigations.

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Why is it important?

It represents the first study devoted primariuly to serpulid associations from submarine caves, their biodoversity and their ecological and bioconstructional potential.