Discovery of sabellariid reefs in the Black Sea—first record and reef characterization of Sabellaria taurica (Rathke, 1837) from the Turkish Coast
摘要
As ecosystem engineers, sabellariid polychaetes build reefs that support coastal biodiversity and abundance by providing shelter and nursery habitats for many species. Thus, it is important to understand their distribution range and pattern. Here, we report the distribution of Sabellaria taurica (Rathke, 1837) reefs from the Black Sea coast of Türkiye for the first time. Specimens collected in Türkiye were morphologically identified as S. taurica (Rathke, 1837) based on the paleal structure. Phylogenetic analysis including new COI sequences for 4 specimens collected in the Black Sea and existing sequences for five other Sabellaria species showed that S. taurica from Türkiye occurred in the same lineage as S. taurica from Bulgaria and sequences potentially misidentified as S. spinulosa from Italy and Croatia. These results indicate that S. taurica, a species thought to be endemic to the Black Sea, may also be present in the Mediterranean. S. taurica aggregates were found at 4 stations in Ordu Province. Two stations were classified as reefs while other two stations were defined as “potential reef areas” based on a scoring protocol. The maximum reef height (63 cm), the highest average tube density (61,405 tubes/m2), and the highest tube diameter (2.22 mm) values were determined at the Aya Nikola (AN) station. The findings of this study add new information on this species’ distribution, its geographic occurrence, and its capability to build reefs in the Black Sea ecosystem. The existence of this new habitat is a significant contribution to the biodiversity in the region.