Decapod crustaceans of soft-sediments on the Aegean Sea coast of Turkey (the eastern Aegean Sea)

Abstract

58 species of decapod crustacean were identified (1 Dendobranchiata, 14 Caridea, 5 Thalassinidea, 14 Anomura, 24 Brachyura) on soft substrates of the Aegean Sea coast of Turkey. Samples were collected from 60 sampling sites along the Turkish Aegean shore (eastern Aegean Sea) between July 2000 and September 2000 with dredge and a van Veen grab at bottom depths of 7 to 150 m. Different species dominated in each ecological zone with the anomuran squat lobster, Galathea intermedia Lilljeborg, 1851, being the most dominant species across the whole sampling area, comprising 11.71% of the individuals collected. This report represents the first published investigations into soft-sediment decapod communities in the coastal waters of the Turkish Aegean Sea.