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¹ Akdeniz University, Dumlupınar Bulvarı 07058 Kampüs, Antalya, Turkey
² Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources, Agios Kosmas, Hellinikon, 16604 Athens, Greece DOI : 10.4194/1303-2712-v17_5_12 Viewed : 4017 - Downloaded : 2547 The spatio-temporal distributions of decapod crustaceans caught by trawlers over the 200 m at 87 hauls on the bathyal ground in the gulf of Antalya (eastern Mediterranean) were investigated. Samples were collected during the monthly surveys from July 2010 to June 2011, and sampling area was divided in eight bathymetric strata (200-900 m: 100 m interval). Hypotheses about relationships of assemblages to depth stratum and consecutive four seasons were tested. Univariate (one- and two-way ANOVA) and multivariate analysis (BrayCurtis, nMDS, PERMANOVA and PERMIDS tests) showed differences in crustacean assemblages (abundance, biomass and species richness) according to depth stratum. No significant differences related to the consecutive seasons were detected. Analysis of the trawl catches shows two decapod assemblages: one on the upper slope (shallower than 500 m) characterized by Parapenaeus longirostris and Plesionika heterocarpus and another on the middle slope (500-900 m) with Aristaeomorpha foliacea, Aristeus antennatus and Plesionika martia. Keywords : Decapoda, crustacea, abundance, distribution, East Mediterranean Sea