A large non-parasitic population of Savalia savaglia (Bertoloni, 1819) in the Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro).

Autor: Canessa M; Dipartimento Di Scienze Della Terra Dell'Ambiente E Della Vita (DISTAV), Università Di Genova, Corso Europa, 26 -16132, Genova, Italy. marti.canessa@gmail.com.; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy. marti.canessa@gmail.com., Trainito E; Genoa Marine Centre-Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Ecologia E Biotecnologie Marine, Istituto Nazionale di Biologia, Villa del Principe, Piazza del Principe, 4 - 16126, Genova, Italy., Bavestrello G; Dipartimento Di Scienze Della Terra Dell'Ambiente E Della Vita (DISTAV), Università Di Genova, Corso Europa, 26 -16132, Genova, Italy.; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario Per Le Scienze del Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Roma, Italy., Petović S; Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro, Put I Bokeljske Brigade 68, 85330, Kotor, Montenegro., Đorđević N; Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro, Put I Bokeljske Brigade 68, 85330, Kotor, Montenegro., Mačić V; Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro, Put I Bokeljske Brigade 68, 85330, Kotor, Montenegro.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2024 Apr 02; Vol. 14 (1), pp. 7785. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Apr 02.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58101-y
Abstrakt: The golden coral Savalia savaglia is a long-living ecosystem engineer of Mediterranean circalittoral assemblages, able to induce necrosis of gorgonians' and black corals' coenenchyme and grow on their cleaned organic skeleton. Despite its rarity, in Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro) a shallow population of more than 1000 colonies was recorded close to underwater freshwater springs, which create very peculiar environmental conditions. In this context, the species was extremely abundant at two sites, while gorgonians were rare. The abundance and size of S. savaglia colonies and the diversity of the entire benthic assemblage were investigated by photographic sampling in a depth range of 0-35 m. Several living fragments of S. savaglia spread on the sea floor and small settled colonies (< 5 cm high) suggested a high incidence of asexual reproduction and a non-parasitic behaviour of this population. This was confirmed by studying thin sections of the basal portion of the trunk where the central core, generally represented by the remains of the gorgonian host skeleton, was lacking. The S. savaglia population of Boka Kotorska Bay forms the unique Mediterranean assemblage of the species deserving the definition of animal forest. Recently, temporary mitigation measures for anthropogenic impact were issued by the Government of Montenegro. Nevertheless, due to the importance of the sites the establishment of a permanent Marine Protected Area is strongly recommended.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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