Ficopomatus‘Reefs' in the Po River Delta (Northern Adriatic): Their Constructional Dynamics, Biology, and Influences on the Brackish‐water Biota

Bianchi, Carlo Nike; Morri, Carla

Ficopomatus‘Reefs' in the Po River Delta (Northern Adriatic): Their Constructional Dynamics, Biology, and Influences on the Brackish‐water Biota

1996

Bianchi, Carlo Nike | Morri, Carla

The serpulid polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923) builds huge aggregates in the “Sacca del Canarin”, a brackish inlet of the Po River Delta (Italy). Distribution, structure and development of these ‘reefs’. together with their associated biota, were studied by field observations and settlement panels from 1977 to 1979. Some aspects of the serpulid biology (settlement periods, tube growth, life strategy) were also taken into account. Ficopomatus reefs influence in many ways the brackish‐water ecosystem: they form the main hard substrate; are major sediment source; help in regulating the trophic status of the lagoon; and act as refuge for many invertebrate species.

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