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Cold-Water Corals and Ecosystems pp 807–819Cite as

Remarkable sessile fauna associated with deep coral and other calcareous substrates in the Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea

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Part of the book series: Erlangen Earth Conference Series ((ERLANGEN))

Abstract

Deep-sea dredging of sediment-starved steep reliefs in the Strait of Sicily (cruise CS96 of RV Urania) recovered various benthic organisms previously unknown or poorly documented in the Mediterranean basin. This Mediterranean case-study refers to deep coral substrates represented by loose or cemented skeletal remains of Desmophyllum, Lophelia and Madrepora, subfossil giant oyster shells, micriticised sponges, from c. 250–1000 m depth. Here we present some of the more remarkable species: one foraminiferan (Planogypsina?); the sponges Stylocordyla pellita, Sphinctrella gracilis and Siphonidium ramosum; a bioluminescent zoantharian (still unidentified); the boring actinian Fagesia loveni; the stoloniferous octocoral Scleranthelia musiva; the gorgonian Dendrobrachia fallax; and the holothurian Psolidium complanatum.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’Océanologie de Marseille, Station Marine d’Endoume, Rue Batterie des Lions, F 13007, Marseille, France

    Helmut Zibrowius

  2. ISMAR-Marine Geology Division, CNR, Via Gobetti 101, I-40129, Bologna, Italy

    Marco Taviani

Authors
  1. Helmut Zibrowius
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  2. Marco Taviani
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Paleontology, Erlangen University, Loewenichstr. 28, D-91054, Erlangen, Germany

    André Freiwald

  2. Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, UK

    J. Murray Roberts

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Zibrowius, H., Taviani, M. (2005). Remarkable sessile fauna associated with deep coral and other calcareous substrates in the Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea. In: Freiwald, A., Roberts, J.M. (eds) Cold-Water Corals and Ecosystems. Erlangen Earth Conference Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27673-4_42

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