Ostracodes (Crustacea, Ostracoda) in the Rocky Nearshore Water Area of Zmiiniy Island (Black Sea)

Data about meiobenthic ostracodes species on the different substrates of Zmiiniy Island nearshore water area are presented. The density and biomass means of the ostracodes were higher on the algal substrates (on Laurencia paniculata made up 41931 ± 12689 ind.·m-2 and 400.56 ± 125.65 mg·m-2 respectively). In the current study for the first time 13 ostracodes species were found, most of which are common in all types of substrate. The dominant species were Loxoconcha pontica Klie, 1937, Paradoxostoma intermedium Müller, 1894, Xestoleberis cornelii Caraion, 1963 and Xestoleberis decipiens (Müller, 1894). All of them are common species in the north-western Black Sea. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) analysis of ostracodes species abundance shown that the samples of sandy-shells bottom differed significantly from algal and mussel substrates. According to the cluster analysis sand-shells bottom samples on almost 80 % differed from hard substrates.