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4. Gorgonian gardens
4.1. Mixed gorgonian garden (Eunicella spp., Leptogorgia spp., Paramuricea clavata) on
infralittoral and circalittoral rocky bottom
There are 6 species of gorgonian documented by OCEANA as part of these mixed gardens: Eunicella
labiata, E. gazella, E. verrucosa, Leptogorgia lusitanica, L. sarmentosa and Paramuricea clavata.
Their presence depends on the localization and depth where the mixed gardens develop. Some species
(Eunicella verrucosa and Leptogorgia spp.) have been documented both at the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of
Biscay) and the Gulf of Cádiz, as well as in waters on the Southwest of Portugal; other species (Eunicella
gazella, E. singularis, E. labiata and Paramuricea clavata) were only found in Cádiz and in Portuguese
waters, and they are not present in the mixed gardens documented in the Cantabrian Sea.
Regarding the depth, while some species show a very broad bathymetric range (Eunicella labiata, E.
verrucosa), other species are more predominant in shallow waters (E. gazella, Leptogorgia spp.) and
others appear more abundantly in deeper areas (Paramuricea clavata).
Based on the predominance of the indicated species in the mixed gardens documented by OCEANA, we
have classified these gardens in several categories:
4.1. 1. Mixed gorgonian garden (Eunicella verrucosa, Leptogorgia lusitanica and L. sarmentosa) on
infralittoral rocky bottom
DESCRIPTION: These mixed gardens of gorgonians occur on abrupt rocky bottom, with vertical walls. In
front of the Ballena de Sonabia (Cantabrian Sea, Bay of Biscay), at a depth of around 20 m, the
predominant gorgonian species are Eunicella verrucosa, Leptogorgia lusitanica and L. sarmentosa: the
last being the less abundant that the first two species.
Rocks on which these gardens grow are covered by algae and a many organisms can be found on them,
such as anthozoans, hydrozoans, echinoderms, porifera, molluscs, bryozoans, polychaetes, crustaceans,
foraminifera and ascidians. Also a lot of fish species are part of this community.
Sometimes, small gardens made up of only one of these species can be found. This is the case of the
garden of Leptogorgia sarmentosa developed on the bottom of Os Meixidos bank (Galicia), at around 40
metres depth, also on a rocky bottom with no sediment.
DEPTH: 18 - 40 m
TYPE OF SUBSTRATE: Rocky bottom, abrupt. This type of mixed gorgonian gardens frequent forms
habitats on rocky overhangs and walls, on areas with no sediment.
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