Distribution and Taxonomy of Shallow Marine Ostracods from the Western Coast of the Red Sea, Egypt

Abstract

A total 5849 individuals of ostracods constituting twenty species were collected from five shallow marine sites along the area from El-Quseir to Marsa Alam on the West Coast of the Red Sea. The twenty ostracod species belonging to sixteen genera and ten different families. The three genera; Loxoconcha, Neonesidea and Xestoleberis have high species diversity. Furthermore, the species Loxoconcha ghardaqensis, Xestoleberis rotunda, Paranesidea fracticorallicola, Tanella gracilis and Neonesidea schulzi were the best recognized in the collecting region. Otherwise, the distribution of the collected ostracod species in relation to environmental variables and plants were discussed in detail here. Based on this, it is concluded that, vegetation type appears to be the most important factor controlling the distribution of ostracod species in the investigated area. Also, other factors such as, water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and electrical conductivity play an important role. Scanning electron microscope images of valves are delivered of the recorded taxa. These fauna displays close affinities to those of the Red Sea and the Indo- Pacific region.