Diversity patterns of the South African azooxanthellate scleractinians (Cnidaria: Anthozoa), with considerations of environmental correlates.

ABSTRACT: Azooxanthellate scleractinian corals, a group of species that lack a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates, are influenced by environmental variables at various scales. As the global commitment to sustainably manage ocean ecosystems and resources rises, there is a growing need to describe biodiversity trends in previously unsampled areas. Benthic invertebrate research in South Africa is a developing field, and many taxa in deep water environments remain inadequately characterized. Recently, the South African azooxanthellate scleractinian fauna was taxonomically reviewed, but their distributional correlations with physical parameters have not been studied. Here we aim to understand the biodiversity gradients of the South African azooxanthellate coral fauna by analysing the environment

SUBMITTER: Filander ZN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11309500 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature