THE MOST COMMON ROCKY SHORE INVERTEBRATE DWELLERS OF THE RED SEA COAST, EGYPT

Journal Article

• Magazine \ Newspaper: Egypt. Jour. Paleontol.
• Volume Number: 3
• Pages: 271-283

Publication Abstract

Along the Egyptian Red Sea Coast from Abu Darag on the Gulf of Suez southwards to
Berenice, 19 species form the most common invertebrates that inhabit the widely distributed
rocky shore niches. These species belong to Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Bryozoa, Annelida, and
Cirripedia. They are all also recorded as fossils from the Pleistocene, some of them are dated
back to the Pliocene. The recorded species have different modes of life: encrusters, clingers,
crawlers, .and byssate. Most of them tolerate the strong ecological stresses of the tidal zone
especially desiccation and exposure to strong waves, few are not. The niches inhabited by
them vary from nearly flat to slightly sloped rocky surfaces clean from sediments, others are
covered by thin veneer of mud and/or sand, or vertically standing rocky walls, or even loose
gravelly beaches. Population structure varies from one taxon to another. Also population
structure changes within the same taxon from place to place according to shore level, wave
exposure and microhabitat. The youngest raised coral reef, and the fine and coarse weathering
products of the nearby sedimentary and basement rocks, as well as mangrove beaches are the
main natural rocky shores present. Wastes of different solid objects offer local hard substrates
that change community structures in non-rocky shore sites.