Taxonomic composition, depth distribution and phytogeographic characteristics of marine benthic macroflora from Rijeka bay (North Adriatic sea, Croatia)
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: Here we give a review of the taxonomic composition, depth distribution, and phytogeographic characteristics of benthic marine macroflora from Rijeka Bay. It is based on our research from 1950 to 2000, and on both a nomenclatural and a taxonomic critical revision of previous records from that region. The list contains 380 taxa belonging to the Rhodophyta (231), the Ochrophyta (74), the Chlorophyta (71) and the Magnoliophyta (4), 338 of which are at the species level while 42 are infraspecific (4 subspecies, 31 varieties, 7 forms, 1 stage). The established ratio between the number of Rhodophyta and Phaeophyceae (R/P Index; FELDMANN, 1937) was 3.1, and the relation between the number of Rhodophyta + Chlorophyta and Phaeophyceae (R+C/P Index; CHENEY, 1977) was 4.1. Both the above values show the subtropical character of benthic macroalgal flora in the surveyed area. With regard to its origin, the Rijeka Bay benthic flora is not homogenous. It comprises floral ele-ments from several phytogeographic regions. Predominant by number and percentage are Atlantic (86 taxa – 23%), subcosmopolitan (75 taxa – 20%), Mediterranean (70 taxa – 19%), and Indo-Atlantic (53 taxa – 14%) floral elements. Other phytogeographic regions contribute only 96 taxa to Rijeka ma-rine algal flora – 25 % of total the 380 taxa recorded. Only 3 species (1%) are included in the category of Adriatic endemic (Polysiphonia adriatica, Feldmannia irregularis var. lebeliides and Fucus virsoides).
Source: Natura Croatica
Language: English
Subfield: Oceanography
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W102325497