Page 4 - DeidunSchembri2006

358 A. D EIDUN, P.J. SCH EMBRI

compos1tlon; the most abundant species collected in 2002 were the amphipods
Gammarus subtypicus (42.2% of all individuals) and Aty lus swammerdami (12.8%),
and the mysid Siriella clausii (12.5%); however, in 2003 the most abundant species
were the mysid Siriella clausii (22.8% of all individuals), the amphipod Atylus
swammerdami (16%) and the mysid Siriella armata (7.4%).

For Maltese beaches, temporal changes in abundance were much more pro-
nounced for all taxa (Fig. l ) but were especially so for the mysids. During 2002,
mysids varied from a maximum of 51.7% of the total individuals collected in summer
to a minimum of 8.6% in spring; during 2003, mysids ranged from a maximum of
44.7% of the total individuals collected in spring to a minimum of 31.2% in winter.

120 [[llTonaeids III Cu~Mceans

AUTUMf\1 WINTfR SPRINO SUMMER I i iFISh 120 SPRff\1() Fish
100 AUTU\4111 WNTER SUMMER
ll ~l l;~ - "" l •Cumaceans o x pt
80 l1l1 ;~~~•;:: l 100 ([llranaelds
wR D MotJscs
oc 80 n ox oc 80 O Molluscs
ox • lsopods E
"co;"; wR c wR "ao'. 60 . ,.,pod$
D Decapods
a. 40 ox D Polychaetes E D Oecepods
Eo D ~· o
D M.,- (.) 40 D PolycMetes
(.)
Q) O Ampl'ipods
c 20
Cl 0 Mv•ids
Q)
fcl 20
~
Q)
oQ)
~
Q. oQ)

wR Q.
ox
ox ox wR

BEACH A BEACH B

n • no f&I.I"Ml recorded W>leW • TQWf)( Bay; O • Oolden Bay; R • Romla;

X • X ~Ahmar,C • Corjgl Beach;LB • l Ekrrcne;Pt • Porto; Px • Poueilo

Fig. l - Seasonal variation in taxonomic composition of the surf zone fauna! assemblages from
the beaches sampled in (A) 200 1 and (B) 2002.

Variazioni stagionali nella composizione tassonomica dei popolamenti faunistici della zona di swf
delle spiagge campionate nel 2001 ( A) e 2002 ( B).

120 120 ~----------------~

oul\MTlll wint... spring summer summer
100 Feedlng Type
~100 ~~ EF r-
80 Feeding Type
QX c 80 bl'-rophyt""'-
oc WR ~ophytoph<ogO<AS . rophyt""'-
~ 60 ~
ao . llltv1icrocernivorous
"g_' 60
.oE... 40
NF Eo ~oc:arrM>rous
QJ (.) 40 - 1icroc:arrM>rous
O) [J:letrllvore
Q)
~ 20
Cl
QJ
~., 20
~ ~
WR WRC
oQJ & o ~W ~R ~W ~R LWY~RL~P~yo yx~ ~ousiSca-

Q. QX QX OX OX OXPT w R

WR

QX

BEACH A BEACH B
NF. • No reported f...,..
W • Wito TQWf)( Bay; O • Oolden Bay; R• Romle

X = X l-Ahmar;C = Conigli Betlch;LB •LBurrooe;Pt • Porto;Px • Pozzolo

Fig. 2 - Seasonal variation in feed ing func tional types of the surf zone fau na} assemblages
from the beaches sampled in (A) 2001 and (B) 2002.

Variazioni stagionali per tipo di fun zionale di alimentazione del popolamento faunistico della
zona di swf delle spiagge campionate nel 2001 ( A) e 2002 ( B) .