Experimental sponge fishery in Egypt during recovery from sponge disease

Autor: J. Pantelis, J. Castritsi-Catharios, H. Miliou
Rok vydání: 2005
Předmět:
Zdroj: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 15:109-116
ISSN: 1099-0755
1052-7613
Popis: 1. A survey was undertaken (1995) on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt that investigated four sponge fishing grounds. These fishing banks suffered from sponge disease between 1987 and 1990, causing a mass mortality of commercial sponges in the eastern and central Mediterranean. 2. Adult commercial sponges (length >10 cm) were harvested by divers in the infralittoral zone (depth range 17–36 m). The substratum at most of the sampling stations was hard, consisting mainly of plaques, rocks and heavy stones, sometimes covered by Posidonia oceanica. 3. Two commercial sponge species were detected, Hippospongia communis and Spongia cfr zimocca; the former was more prevalent and abundant. Light penetration in the area surveyed was high. The two commercial sponge species detected seemed to be well adapted to these conditions, as indicated by the colour of their external membranes, which were almost black due to enhanced pigment formation. The absence of Spongia officinalis, in the area surveyed may also be related to light penetration, since S. officinalis is a more sciaphilous species. 4. The shape of H. communis was almost spherical, and the average dimensions (length, width, height, circumference) increased with increasing depth of the fishing grounds. At shallower depths (
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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