Sipuncula inhabiting the coral Oculina patagonica in the western Mediterranean Sea

Background We analyzed the sipunculan fauna inhabiting the scleractinian coral Oculina patagonica in the Marine Reserve of Tabarca Island (western Mediterranean). Results Five sipunculan species were collected from 2011 to 2014: Phascolosoma stephensoni , P. granulatum , P. cf. agassizii , Aspidosiphon misakiensis , and Golfingia vulgaris . All five species were reported for the first time inhabiting O. patagonica ; with P. cf. agassizii being a new record for the Iberian Peninsula. The average abundance of sipunculans inhabiting the coral was 468.75 ± 158.04 ind m −2 , representing the second most abundant taxonomic group, in biomass, after Mollusca. Conclusions Sipunculan diversity was low comparing with tropical reefs, but species abundances were higher than in soft-bottom nearby areas and community structure appears to be more homogeneous. There may be a considerable contribution to the erosion of the coral skeleton by sipunculans.