The subtídal epíbenthic communities off Puerto del Carmen (Lanzarote. Canary Islands)

Abstract

SCUBA diving down to ca 50 m depth in February I996 allowed the recording of 150 conspicuous species (or species groups) by visual census and photography. Five main communities were identified using cluster analysis on presence1 absence data. Rock in shallow water (< 10 m) was covered by a species-rich community dominated by photophilic algae. A community characterised by several fish species inhabited sandy bottom at a depth 10 to 20 m deep. Between 20 and 50 m, a volcanic reef ran aImost parallel to the coastline. A community characterised chiefly by echinoderms. encrusting invertebrates and few algae thrived on the reef head, whereas a community of sessile animals (sponges. cnidarians etc.) was recognisable on the reef wall and in caves. A further community was found on rocks at the base of the reef, and was constituted mainly by bushy cnidarians. Species composition and general physiognomy of these five epibenthic communities were similar to those already described from other sites of the Canaries and showed analogies with corresponding communities in the rest of the Atlantic-Mediterranean region.