Mesopsammone

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As Mesopsammon ( Greek. : Μέσος mesos = medium, ψάμμος psammos = sand) refers to the totality of organisms the habitat between the grains of sand on the sea sand coasts populate and due to the aquatic environment. This habitat is called the sand gap system or interstitial . The entirety of the animals of the mesopsammon is called accordingly also sand gap fauna or interstitial fauna .

It is a very species-rich community ( biocenosis ) with ciliates , tardigrade , corset animals , nematodes , jaw mouths , copepods as well as tiny clams and snails .

In contrast to endopsammon , the organisms that dig and dig in the sand, animals of mesopsammon populate the existing space between the sand. This explains the dwarfing of the interstitial fauna as an adaptation to this habitat: worms, crabs, mussels, snails and other organisms have shrunk to a minimal size by adapting to the habitat.

The living conditions in the interstitial are often particularly inhospitable for the organisms. In some latitudes, the temperature fluctuates between minus 5 ° C in winter and more than 40 ° C in summer, and the daytime temperature can change rapidly and significantly. The salinity of the water is subject to great fluctuations and the sands can dry out quickly. Because of the mechanical stress, among other things, no plants grow here that could offer protection and support. Wind and waves change the morphology of the living space. The inhabitants of this ecosystem must be well adapted to these conditions. An evolutionary advantage is the comparatively low competition with relatively large areas that this ecological niche makes available worldwide.

See also

literature

  • Sebastian A. Gerlach: Special Ecology: Marine Systems (=  Special Ecology . Volume 2 ). Springer, 2013, ISBN 978-3-642-57936-3 , 11 The sand gap system.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ulrich Sommer : Biological Oceanography . Springer, 2016, p. 298-299, 308-310 , doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-662-50407-9 .