Meeting Abstract

63.1  Sunday, Jan. 6  Invertebrate community in beds of the Magellan mussel from South-eastern Pacific Ocean SEPULVEDA, R.D.*; MORENO, C.A.; Universidad Austral de Chile, Chile; Universidad Austral de Chile, Chile rogersepulveda@uach.cl

The marine biological substrata are defined as species of marine organisms that generate secondary substrata where inhabit others invertebrates species. The aim of this study was to determine the associated fauna to the Magellan mussel in a latitudinal gradient of South-eastern Pacific Ocean. Beds of mussel Aulacomya ater were sampled in five localities in the coast of Per� and Chile (from latitude 16�S to 45�S). The results showed that, the mean length of mussel increase from north to south, meanwhile the mean abundance increase from south to north. The invertebrate abundance and richness varied significantly among localities; however the community attributes did not. The major abundances were represented by Polychaeta, Gastropoda, Ophiuroidea and Amphipoda. Nevertheless, we not found an understandable pattern between groups, except Ophiuroidea, which decreased its abundance from north to south. A canonical correlation analysis showed that the mussel abundance determine the ophiuroids abundance. When performed an ordination analysis, the north localities are completely separated of the south localities, showing two faunistic areas to the long of the coast of South Pacific Ocean. We discussing about the intrinsically mechanism and processes generated by the biological substrata, and the main function that biological substrata represent for the associated fauna.