Seasonal variability of suprabenthic crustaceans associated with Cymodocea nodosa seagrass meadows off Gran Canaria (eastern Atlantic)

Abstract

Seagrass meadows are important ecosystems on shallow coastal waters, maintaining a high diversity of species. Mysids are the dominant taxa of suprabenthic organisms associated with seagrass meadows in temperate coastal waters, where they are an important food resource for the coastal fishes. Five meadows of Cymodocea nodosa were sampled off the east and west of Gran Canaria Island in spring and autumn 2011 to describe associated suprabenthos and to determine seasonal changes in the abundance of suprabenthos assemblages. Mysids, decapods and amphipods made up 95% of total suprabenthos abundance, which was more abundant in spring (May) than in autumn (November). A total of 29 species were identified, 12 amphipod, 11 decapod and 6 mysid species. The mysid Leptomysis lingvura did not show seasonal differences, while Anchialina agilis showed greater abundance in May at all localities. For the other mysid species, abundances were higher in May than November, although significant differences varied among localities. The dominant amphipod, Apherusa vexatrix, and the dominant decapod, Hippolyte spp., also showed significant differences in density between seasons, being higher in May at all localities. From these results, we conclude that there is an overlap between the natural life cycle of the seagrass C. nodosa and associated suprabenthos.