Abstract Polychaetes from tropical ecosystems of the eastern Pacific have been poorly studied; thus, aim this study was to analyse their taxonomic composition in southern Mexican shelf and examine biogeographic affinities. A total 3741 specimens 82 species, 52 genera, 27 families were identified 38 stations at 42–109 m depth. The Sedentaria group more diverse (40 48.8%) abundant (1753 ind., 46....

Spionid polychaetes are a dominant component of benthic assemblages in marine and estuarine habitats and are important in assessing ecological function and integrity. Ecological and biogeographic studies rely upon the ability to distinguish between morphologically similar species, as well as knowledge of evolutionary relationships between species. Unfortunately, differentiating between congener...

This study evaluated pollution levels in water and sediments of Península de Paraguaná and related these levels with benthic macrofauna along a coastal area where the largest Venezuelan oil refineries have operated over the past 60 years. For this, the concentration of heavy metals, of hydrocarbon compounds and the community structure of the macrobenthos were examined at 20 sites distributed al...