Reproductive ecology of Epizoanthus arenaceus (Delle Chiaje, 1823) (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from the North Adriatic Sea

The comparison of patterns in abundance and reproduction at 3-4 m and 6-7 m shows that the shallower colonies seem to be more sensitive to extreme values of temperature. The NW sector of the Adriatic Sea, vulnerable to severe anthropogenic pressure and subject to frequent thermal anomalies, is particularly prone to the mortality episodes of benthic organisms. For these reasons, the study of the dynamics of invertebrates from this area is crucial to forecast the effects of environmental changes in the entire Mediterranean basin.