The composition and seasonal changes amongst the epifauna associated with Fucus serratus L. in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland
Seed, R.; Elliott, M.; Boaden, P.J.S.; O'Connor, R. (1981). The composition and seasonal changes amongst the epifauna associated with Fucus serratus L. in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland. Cah. Biol. Mar. 22(3): 243-266
In: Cahiers de Biologie Marine. Station Biologique de Roscoff: Paris. ISSN 0007-9723; e-ISSN 2262-3094, more
The dominant epifaunal taxa associated with F. serratus L. at three physically and biologically contrasted sites in Strangford Lough were studied between December 1976 and November 1978. Factors which favoured the establishment of Fucus also favoured the growth of individual plants since where plants were most abundant they were also larger and more highly branchd. The 59 plants which were examined in detail contained a total of 42 sedentary taxa of which eleven were common -- these comprised five bryozoans, four serpulids and two hydroids. The serpulids and the bryozoan Alcyonidium polyoum were evidently more tolerant of silt and low turbulence but most other species were significantly more abundant on plants exposed to clean, fast-flowing water. Species were not randomly distributed along individual fronds but occupied distinct zones within the Fucus plants. There were marked seasonal changes in abundance amongst all the common species within the community. Spirorbis borealis settled in pulses between March and September.
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