STUDY ON THE HOLOTHUROID FAUNA (ECHINODERMATA: HOLOTHUROIDEA) INHABITING THE SHALLOW WATERS OF THE EGYPTIAN RED SEA | ||||
Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
Article 2, Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2002, Page 23-45 PDF (1.76 MB) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2002.1726 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Ahmed Hellal1; Mohamed Abou Zeid1; Mohamed Hassan2; Mohamed El-Samra2 | ||||
1Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University | ||||
2National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Suez | ||||
Abstract | ||||
An intensive survey was carried out on the shallow water of the Egyptian coast and Islands of the Red Sea down to 22° N LaL including Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez to study the holothuroid fauna, A total number of 32 holothuroid species was collected belonging to 8 genera; 3 families and 2 orders. A taxonomio key to the species level was constructed to facilitate the identification of the collected species. Among the obtained species, Bohadschia mitsioensis, Bohadschia vitiensis, Holothuria (Fhymiosyeia) conusalba, Labidodemas rugosum, Holothuria (Platyperona) crosnieri, Holothuria (Mertensiotkuria) albofusca and Stichopus horrens were recorded for the first time from the entire Red Sea. Among the 32 species, 5 species (15.6 %) were cosmopolitan, 6 species (18.7 %) were widely distributed, 18 species (56.3 %) were restricted in their distribution to some places in the Indian Ocean and 3 species (9.4 %) were endemic to the Red Sea. Study on micro-habitat distribution showed that species of genera Actinopyga and Bohadschia were surf zo^e species,,, and most species of genus Holothuria were fugitive species, while species of subgenera Cystipus, theelothuria and Metriatyla were mainly fossorial species. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Ecinodermata; Holothuroidea; Red Sea; Gulf of Aqaba Gulf of Suez | ||||
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