Epifaunal Assemblages of the Fan Mussel (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in the Sea of Marmara.

Dense aggregations of species in the family Pinnidae give soft substrata a specific characterization. They may influence the biological and physical properties of the surrounding sediments. Bottom-trawl samplings performed in the Sea of Marmara revealed populations of a large pinnid species, particularly at depths of 40-45 m in soft substrata. Both morphological and DNA analyses confirmed the species' taxonomic identity as . This species had a population density ranging from 31 to 469 ind.km, and the shell lengths ranged from 21.3 to 31 cm. A total of 47 macrozoobenthic species belonging to eight taxonomic groups were found on the shells of ten live and nine dead individuals. Polychaeta accounted for 53% of the total number of species and 75% of the total number of individuals. Among these species, and comprised almost 30% of all epifaunal populations. Community parameters changed according to the shell length and width. Different faunal assemblages were encountered on the shells. Given the ecological significance of as both a habitat-forming and sensitive benthic species, conservation measures should prioritize the protection of known habitats and the regulation of activities that lead to seabed disturbance.