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Complementary distribution of two sympatric serranids in a NATURA 2000 site in the Northern Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2014

Ioannis Giovos ,
Konstantinos Ganias  and
Georgios Skoufas
Ioannis Giovos
Affiliation:
Ichthyology Lab, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Konstantinos Ganias*
Affiliation:
Ichthyology Lab, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Georgios Skoufas
Affiliation:
Department of Fisheries Technology and Aquaculture, Alexander Technological and Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
*
Correspondence should be addressed to:K. Ganias, Ichthyology Lab, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The present work aimed to investigate possible spatial and seasonal patterns in the distribution of two sympatric serranids, the painted comber, Serranus scriba and the comber, Serranus cabrilla. The research took place at a NATURA 2000 site located at Sithonia peninsula, N. Greece. Underwater visual census was used for data collection; specifically, individuals from each species were recorded along four isobathic transects of 200 m2 each, placed every 5 m and ranging from 5 to 20 m depth. A total of 27 samplings were conducted between September 2010 and August 2011. The results clearly demonstrated complementary bathymetric distributions for S. scriba and S. cabrilla, the former mostly occurring until 10 m depth, and the latter in deeper layers. This pattern was maintained during the whole season. In addition the two species exhibited differences in their preferred substrate type and their pattern of association to the sea bottom. Our results were viewed under the light of resource portioning between the two sympatric species.

Keywords

Serranidsbathymetric distributionMediterraneanresource partitioningSerranus cabrillaSerranus scriba
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 95 , Issue 3 , May 2015 , pp. 593 - 598
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2014 

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