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The cephalopod fauna collected in five MEDITS-ES trawl surveys carried out on the Iberian Mediterranean coast was analysed. Hauls, which were carried out in spring between 1994 and 1998, numbered 480. A total of 34 cephalopod species, grouped in 11 families, was found at depths of between 25 and 786 m. Species and samples assemblages were analysed with the Bray-Curtis similarity index. From the physical parameters studied (depth, temperature and bottom type) only depth showed a positive correlation with cephalopod distribution. Three main cephalopod communities were defined: the shelf community (< 150 m), the middle slope community (> 480 m) and a group of cephalopods which were widely distributed more abundantly on the lower continental shelf-upper slope (150-480 m). SIMPER analysis revealed that Loligo (Alloteuthis) media was the main indicator species of the shelf group, Eledone cirrhosa was the indicator species of the lower shelf upper slope group and Todarodes sagittatus of the middle slope community. The 150-480 m stratum was considered a transitional zone, representing an overlapping region for shelf and slope faunas.
This study was carried out within the framework of the MEDITS-ES project "International Bottom Trawl Survey in the Mediterranean sea, Spain" (EU contract ref. DG-XIV).
Peer reviewed