Massive strandings of Velella velella (Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Porpitidae) in the Ligurian Sea (North-western Mediterranean Sea)
Velella velella, the so-called by-the-wind sailor, is a common member of the open-ocean pleustonic fauna, worldwide distributed in tropical and temperate regions. Thanks to their sail protruding above the sea surface, floating polymorphic colonies of this hydrozoan are carried by winds, and tend to...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2019-01-01
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| Series: | The European Zoological Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2019.1671506 |
| _version_ | 1818047175646511104 |
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| author | F. Betti M. Bo F. Enrichetti M. Manuele R. Cattaneo-Vietti G. Bavestrello |
| author_facet | F. Betti M. Bo F. Enrichetti M. Manuele R. Cattaneo-Vietti G. Bavestrello |
| author_sort | F. Betti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Velella velella, the so-called by-the-wind sailor, is a common member of the open-ocean pleustonic fauna, worldwide distributed in tropical and temperate regions. Thanks to their sail protruding above the sea surface, floating polymorphic colonies of this hydrozoan are carried by winds, and tend to aggregate in large swarms, that often get stranded along the shores. Although these events are commonly observed in springtime along the Ligurian coasts (North-western Mediterranean Sea), no quantitative characterization was ever made. The aim of this study was to characterize the stranding events that occurred in spring 2016 along the Ligurian coast, by evaluating the influence of the local sea conditions and by quantifying the abundance of the stranded colonies in each event. Their size-frequency distribution and biomass were examined, and the associated mollusc fauna identified and counted. The magnitude of these episodes was so relevant that, along the Ligurian coasts, the V. velella strandings constitute one of the most important biological deposition of organic matter; nevertheless, the ecological role of these remarkable and stochastic accumulations of chitin along the coast is still unexplored. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T10:01:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-05b5ad81473842bb9bf00a72d2a361b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2475-0263 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T10:01:37Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The European Zoological Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-05b5ad81473842bb9bf00a72d2a361b52022-12-22T01:53:20ZengTaylor & Francis GroupThe European Zoological Journal2475-02632019-01-0186134335310.1080/24750263.2019.16715061671506Massive strandings of Velella velella (Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Porpitidae) in the Ligurian Sea (North-western Mediterranean Sea)F. Betti0M. Bo1F. Enrichetti2M. Manuele3R. Cattaneo-Vietti4G. Bavestrello5Università degli Studi di GenovaUniversità degli Studi di GenovaUniversità degli Studi di GenovaUniversità degli Studi di GenovaUniversità degli Studi di GenovaUniversità degli Studi di GenovaVelella velella, the so-called by-the-wind sailor, is a common member of the open-ocean pleustonic fauna, worldwide distributed in tropical and temperate regions. Thanks to their sail protruding above the sea surface, floating polymorphic colonies of this hydrozoan are carried by winds, and tend to aggregate in large swarms, that often get stranded along the shores. Although these events are commonly observed in springtime along the Ligurian coasts (North-western Mediterranean Sea), no quantitative characterization was ever made. The aim of this study was to characterize the stranding events that occurred in spring 2016 along the Ligurian coast, by evaluating the influence of the local sea conditions and by quantifying the abundance of the stranded colonies in each event. Their size-frequency distribution and biomass were examined, and the associated mollusc fauna identified and counted. The magnitude of these episodes was so relevant that, along the Ligurian coasts, the V. velella strandings constitute one of the most important biological deposition of organic matter; nevertheless, the ecological role of these remarkable and stochastic accumulations of chitin along the coast is still unexplored.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2019.1671506Pleustonbloomspelagic snailszooplanktonswarms |
| spellingShingle | F. Betti M. Bo F. Enrichetti M. Manuele R. Cattaneo-Vietti G. Bavestrello Massive strandings of Velella velella (Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Porpitidae) in the Ligurian Sea (North-western Mediterranean Sea) The European Zoological Journal Pleuston blooms pelagic snails zooplankton swarms |
| title | Massive strandings of Velella velella (Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Porpitidae) in the Ligurian Sea (North-western Mediterranean Sea) |
| title_full | Massive strandings of Velella velella (Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Porpitidae) in the Ligurian Sea (North-western Mediterranean Sea) |
| title_fullStr | Massive strandings of Velella velella (Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Porpitidae) in the Ligurian Sea (North-western Mediterranean Sea) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Massive strandings of Velella velella (Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Porpitidae) in the Ligurian Sea (North-western Mediterranean Sea) |
| title_short | Massive strandings of Velella velella (Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Porpitidae) in the Ligurian Sea (North-western Mediterranean Sea) |
| title_sort | massive strandings of velella velella hydrozoa anthoathecata porpitidae in the ligurian sea north western mediterranean sea |
| topic | Pleuston blooms pelagic snails zooplankton swarms |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2019.1671506 |
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