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Size-density strategy displayed by Diadema africanum linked with the stability of urchin-barrens in the Canary Islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2014

Nancy Cabanillas-Terán ,
José A. Martín ,
Ruber Rodríguez-Barreras  and
Ángel Luque
Nancy Cabanillas-Terán*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Marine Resources, Central Department of Research, Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, Ciudadela Universitaria, Vía a San Mateo, Manta, Manabí, Ecuador, EC130802
José A. Martín
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Marine Sciences Faculty, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de G.C.,Canary Islands, Spain
Ruber Rodríguez-Barreras
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. PO Box 23360, San Juan 00931-3360, Puerto Rico
Ángel Luque
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Marine Sciences Faculty, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de G.C.,Canary Islands, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: N. Cabanillas-Terán, Departamento Central de Investigación, Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, Ciudadela Universitaria, Vía San Mateo, Manta, Manabí, Ecuador emails: nanchamex@gmail.com/nancy.cabanillas@uleam.edu.ec
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Abstract

The sea urchin Diadema africanum is considered a key herbivore in sublittoral ecosystems of the Canary Islands. Spatial and temporal variability in population structure was carried out at Gran Canaria. We performed a morphometric and population density analysis during 2005, 2006 and 2007 at four sites in zones of Gran Canaria. The study considered a vertical gradient (5, 10 and 20 m depth) during both seasons, the cold season (February and March) and the warm season (October and November). The sea urchin D. africanum in Gran Canaria exhibited an overall density of 7.59 ± 2.92 urchin m−2. A two-way ANOVA evidenced spatial differences in mean abundance of the species, while seasonality was not relevant. The vertical analysis of the abundance of D. africanum showed differences, the smaller sizes appeared at greater depths. The Aristotle's lantern width decreased in a vertical gradient, being remarkable between 10 and 20 m. Findings of uniformity in size over time, a stable range of high densities and the lack of a relationship between the size of the sea urchins and the season reveals that the density–size strategy displayed by D. africanum which explains in turns the high stability of the urchin barrens, which, once developed, remain as areas of permanent desertification in subtidal depths throughout the Canary Archipelago.

Keywords

Diadema africanumurchin barrenmorphometryabundanceCanary Islands
Type
Review Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 95 , Issue 1 , February 2015 , pp. 145 - 151
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2014 

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