In the
last ten years, morphological abnormalities and colored tests have been
observed in benthic foraminifera specimens collected from Aegean and
Southwestern coasts of Turkey. Specific morphological abnormalities show
distinct distribution patterns, suggesting the need for special environmental
conditions facilitating the development of such abnormalities. Physical and
chemical parameters have been proposed to be responsible for these
morphological changes.
The
benthic foraminifera, Cibicidella
variabilis (d’Orbigny)
specimens have been collected from different locations on the East Aegean coast
of Turkey. Some of them, especially those from Dikili Bay, were found to have
variable number of apertures, ranging from one to five. These apertures not
structurally, but positionally differ. The abundance of certain test forms in
specific locations draws attention. The aim of this study is to determine the
possible causes of this aberrant morphology observed in tests of Cibicidella variabilis (d’Orbigny).
Cibicidella variabilis (d’Orbigny)
shows a wide distribution range on the Aegean coast of Turkey, and has been
found in Saros Bay, Gökçeada,
Bozcaada, Çanakkale,
Edremit Bay, Dikili Bay, Çandarlı Bay,
Karaburun Peninsula, Kuşadası, Güllük Bay,
Gulf of Gökova,
Gulf of Datça, and
Marmaris Bay. But, the individuals collected from Gulf of Edremit, Dikili Bay, Çandarlı Bay,
Gulf of Gökova, and
Gulf of Datça were
morphologically different than those collected from the rest of the regions.
The variation in the number of apertures, as well as their positions were
typical in these samples. Besides, the variations in the shape of the tests
observed in adult individuals, but not in juveniles indicates that some
environmental factors, which were specific to these regions, might have been
involved in this unusual test development. The submarine springs caused by the
tectonic activities are typical of the Aegean Sea. It is well documented that
these kinds of springs change the characteristics of the surrounding habitat and
its fauna. Therefore, it is possible that some of the trace elements, which are
abundant in hot spring waters, may be related with the abnormal test morphology
observed in our samples. On the other hand, it is also possible that, not only
the chemical and physical conditions of the surrounding water, but also its
biological properties may affect the test development.
Subjects | Engineering |
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Journal Section | Research Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | May 15, 2017 |
Published in Issue | Year 2017 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.