| Due to its semi-enclosed shape, to its high species richness and high endemism levels and to its invasiveness, the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most particular and critical ecosystems of the world. The Mediterranean has been intensively studied since the Antiquity, yet foundations underlying fish diversity patterns have been overlooked. In this study, as a first step, we studied fish diversity patterns in the Mediterranean and their determinants. Towards this objective, we built the first comprehensive database on the spatial distributions of the 619 Mediterranean fish species. We then carried out spatial analyses in order to assess the relative contribution of historical and geometric contingencies as well as environmental influences in shaping fish... |
