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The importance of turbellarians in the marine meiobenthos: a review

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Abstract

Recent data and opinions on meiofaunal ecology are briefly reviewed; and from scattered data, the place of turbellarians in the meiobenthic community is discussed. Turbellarian diversity, density, and biomass are higher in sandy habitats than in muddy bottoms. In sand, turbellarian diversity is of the same magnitude as that of other important meiofaunal taxa, while densities range between 7–25% of the total meiofauna. Mean individual turbellarian dry weight seems to be four times that of nematodes and in sandy habitats turbellarian biomass may be equal to or excede that of nematodes. Most turbellarian species may be considered as predators and in this respect may take the place occupied by macrofaunal species in muddy sediments. mens.

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Notes

  1. References marked with an asterisk (*) appeared shortly before this review was sent to press, and their data have not been considered here.

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  1. Department SBM, Limburgs Universitair Centrum, B-3610, Diepenbeek, Belgium

    Paul M. Martens & Ernest R. Schockaert

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Martens, P.M., Schockaert, E.R. The importance of turbellarians in the marine meiobenthos: a review. Hydrobiologia 132, 295–303 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00046263

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