| The mytilid mussel Mytilus chilensis (Hupe) can form dense beds in sedimentary areas of the inland coast of the Nord-Patagonic archipelagos of the Chilean coast (ca. 40-43° S). During the autumn of 2002, we collected replicated samples at five intertidal stations in Panitao (Golfo de Reloncaví) ordered along a transect parallel to the low tide level and extended from the center of the bank (stations one and two with 100 and ca. 25 % of mussel cover, respectively) to the bare sediments of the intertidal (stations 3, 4 and 5, without mussels). The macroinfauna was numerically dominated by Polychaeta, Oligochaeta and Crustacea Peracarida. The total number of species collected was 14, being the most abundant the polychaete Perinereis vallata, oligochaetes from... |
