ABSTRACT
The Zoogeographic Division of the North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea Th ere is no published analysis on zoogeography of Gobiidae within the North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Our division of the zoogeographic areas of the North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea is based on the well-known biogeographic divisions of continental shelfs (Briggs, 1974; Spalding et al., 2007); on geographical, hydrographical and geological characteristics of the areas; but it was also infl uenced to some degree by the available data on gobiid presence for some areas (Fig. 2.2.1). Th e division of North-Eastern Atlantic zoogeographic areas followed the border between warm temperate and cold temperate waters (North European Seas and Lusitanian provinces by Spalding et al., 2007). Our further split of the warm temperate North-Eastern Atlantic included three areas around islands, and the three areas along the continental coast. Th e division on the continental coast was based on the possible infl uence of Mediterranean fauna in Gibraltar area and on the infl uence of tropical water fauna along African coast. Th e areas within the Mediterranean were delimited with the presumption that the distribution of small benthic littoral fi shes like Gobiidae would follow a coastline, and limits of distribution of those species would also mostly depend on sea currents (spread of larvae), salinity and temperature. In the southern parts of Mediterranean the borders of the areas were adjusted to the state borders, due to the fact that the only recent sources of data were at best check-lists for each state. Th e presented distribution patterns of Gobiidae in the North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea are based on the inclusion of the most recent data (last update in December 2008). The following publications were source of data for species presence in the areas: the North-Eastern Atlantic (Brownell, 1978; Miller, 1984, 1986, 1990; Dooley et al., 1985; Van Tassell et al., 1988; Gordo et al., 1990; Nieto and Alberto, 1992; Alberto and Nieto, 1993; Wirtz, 1995, 1998; Santos et al., 1997; Henriques et al., 1999; Van Tassell, 2001; Araujo and Freitas, 2002; Ahnelt and Dorda, 2004; Beldade et al., 2006); the Mediterranean (Relini
Orsi and Fanciulli, 1977; Brownell, 1978; Brownell and Collignon, 1979; Zander, 1982; Županović and El Buni, 1982; Miller, 1986; Papakonstantinou, 1988; Ahnelt, 1990; Rakaj, 1995; Golani, 1996; Ibrahim and Soliman, 1996; Al Hassan and El-Silini, 1999; Stefanni and Mazzoldi, 1999; Mayol et al., 2000; Louisy, 2002; Ahnelt and Dorda, 2004; Bradai et al., 2004; Gysels et al., 2004; Kovačić, 2005; La Mesa et al., 2005; Kovačić and Golani, 2006; Francour and Mangialajo, 2007; Fischer et al., 2007; Fricke et al., 2007; Kovačić and Golani, 2007a, 2007b; Patzner, 2007; Mejri et al., in press); the Black Sea and the Azov sea (Vasil’eva, 2003; Vasil’eva and Bogorodsky, 2004; Boldyrev and Bogutskaya, 2007; Boltachev et al., 2007; Engin et al., 2007; Freyhof and Naseka, 2007; Kovačić and Engin, 2009). Th e species richness and the species composition reveal some grouping of the areas: within Mediterranean species rich areas of north Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea, with the closely related Levant Sea diff er from the west and middle south part of the Mediterranean; the Black Sea has the clearly distinct gobiid fauna composition among all areas; the north-eastern Atlantic islands have low number of species compared to the Atlantic continental coast areas and there is also a clear gradual change of species richness along the Atlantic continental coast with increase of number of species from north to south (Figs. 2.2.3. and 2.2.4A, Table 2.2.2).
