engleski

A submarine cave at the Island of Krk (North Adriatic Sea)

ABSTRACT The submarine cave near Vrbnik is 30 m long and it has the shape of an irregular triangular prism. It was formed in upper Cretaceous limestone rocks. The mud and the stone blocks cover the bottom of the cave. The cave was formed under terrestic conditions, probably during Wuerm Glacial age. During the Holocene sea-level rise the cave was submerged. Biocoenological research reveals 23 taxons of macroflora and 112 taxons of macrofauna (Porifera 22, Cnidaria 7, Bivalvia 19, Gastropoda 6, , Cephalopoda 1, Echiura 1, Sipuncula 1, Polychaeta 8, Crustacea 15, Bryozoa 6, Echinodermata 5, Tunicata 4, Pisces 20). The research of Malacostraca revealed 12 species of Decapodes and 2 species of Mysidiacea. Among registered fishes only goby Gammogobius steinitzi is considered to be exclusive cave inhabitant and goby Thorogobius ephippiatus is by far the most numerous fish. From the cave entrance and up to 3 m into the cave a precoralligenous aspect of corallinous biocoenosis was registered. The biocoenosis of semi-dark caves with the predominant Porifera fauna was registered up to 25 m into the cave, while along the last 5 m to the cave end the biocoenosis of caves and ducts in complete darkness is developed, where the Polychaeta are predominant.

karst; sealevel changes; submarine cave; benthic biocoenoses; speleofilic fishes; speleofilic crustaceans

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