Exploring benthic scavenger assemblages, a multi-habitat approach in NW Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Scavenging fauna plays an integral role in ecosystem functioning, nutrient cycling and circulating organic matter. Thus, baseline data of scavenger assemblages on the NW coast of the Iberian Peninsula that provides information on the abundance of species in different habitats is crucial to understanding the distribution of this understudied group. Two different types of baited traps, to capture scavenging megafaunal and scavenging benthopelagic macrofaunal assemblages, were deployed to compare them among rocky, pebbled and sandy bottoms at shallow subtidal on the northern coast of Portugal. Results showed significant differences in the structure of scavenger assemblages. Scavenging megafaunal assemblages differed between sandy and the other two studied habitats, whereas benthopelagic macrofaunal assemblages differed between pebbles and rocky habitats. This suggests that different drivers seem to shape the structure of benthopelagic macrofauna and megafauna. Regarding megafauna, the dominance of <i>Tritia</i> gastropods in sand habitats in comparison with its absence in rock and its very low abundance in pebbles was mainly responsible for the differences. However, in benthopelagic macrofauna, differences in assemblages between pebbles and rock were more related to changes in the relative abundance of crustacean species <i>(Cirolana cranchii</i> and <i>Socarnes erythrophthalmus</i>) that were less abundant in pebbles.