Table 4 Total number of taxa (N ₀) and number of taxa observed in one site and not in the other (s), and average (±SE) of species diversity (H), evenness, total abundance, total biomass, and abundance of dominant/characteristic species in Ria de Vigo (reference site n = 12; mussel site n = 18)

N₀ (s)

152 (68)

159 (63)

Species richness

31.4 ± 2.26

25.6 ± 2.18

ns

Diversity (H)

2.75 ± 0.12

2.29 ± 0.12

<0.05

Evenness

0.81 ± 0.03

0.72 ± 0.03

<0.05

Total abundance (ind. m⁻²)

7,399 ± 1,114

8,143 ± 1,740

ns

Biomass (g AFDW m⁻²)

55.9 ± 19.8

33.7 ± 15.25

<0.05

Heteromastus filiformis (ind. m⁻²)

1,156 ± 525

1,854 ± 848

ns

Prinospio sp. (ind. m⁻²)

514 ± 138

1,465 ± 443

ns

Spio sp. (ind. m⁻²)

914 ± 228

97 ± 33

<0.01

Nephtys sp. (ind. m⁻²)

132 ± 27

6 ± 4

<0.01

Aphelochaeta marioni (ind. m⁻²)

378 ± 151

577 ± 124

ns

Ampharete sp. (ind. m⁻²)

220 ± 73

685 ± 139

<0.05

Paraonis fulgens (ind. m⁻²)

325 ± 139

366 ± 359

ns

Aonides oxycephala (ind. m⁻²)

22 ± 10

325 ± 193

ns

Capitella capitata (ind. m⁻²)

4.4 ± 3.6

114 ± 54

<0.05

Oligochaeta (ind. m⁻²)

13.2 ± 7.7

310 ± 87

<0.01

Ampelisca sp. (ind. m⁻²)

444 ± 52

97 ± 33

<0.05