The Strait of Sicily (SoS) is a key area in the Central Mediterranean Sea characterized by high biodiversity and demersal fisheries productivity. Further, it is traditionally considered the main biogeographic boundary between the Western and Eastern basins of the Mediterranean. Due to the poor knowledge on the benthos composition and distribution in this area, we created the first inventory of megazoobenthos recorded on the trawlable soft bottoms of the North‐Western SoS. Samples were collected by bottom trawl surveys between 2003 and 2013 within a depth range of 10–800 m. Overall, 374 taxa with 358 species, belonging to Porifera, Cnidaria, Nemertea, Rotifera, Brachiopoda, Bryozoa, Sipuncula, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata and Chordata phyla, were found. In addition, the biogeographic affinity of megazoobenthos collected in the SoS to species vulnerable to trawl survey found in other zones of the Central Mediterranean was investigated. Excluding the North Adriatic and the Strait of Messina, moderate affinity values have been recorded within all the biogeographic zones. The benthos species of the North‐Western SoS presented the highest affinity with those of the North Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Sea (about 90% of species in common). However, our results show high similarity with species composition of the South‐Eastern SoS/South Ionian, North Ionian and Central Adriatic (about 80% of species in common). Our study confirms the role as biogeographic transition zone of the SoS for the Mediterranean biota. Furthermore, the lower affinity with native species of the South‐Eastern SoS and the absence of Lessepsian species suggest that the cold waters (due to the permanent up‐welling) off the southern coasts of Sicily may act as thermal barrier for regulating species exchange between the Eastern and Western basins. Some concerns about this role of the northern sector of the SoS were discussed in the light of current climate change.

中文翻译：

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地中海中部大型动物的特征和生物地理亲和力

西西里海峡（SoS）是地中海中部的一个重要区域，其特征是生物多样性高，渔业的生产力高。此外，传统上将其视为地中海西部和东部盆地之间的主要生物地理边界。由于对该地区底栖动物的组成和分布的了解不多，我们创建了记录在西北SoS的可拖网软底上的第一个巨型带状动物清单。在2003年至2013年之间，通过底拖网调查收集了10-800 m深度范围内的样本。总体上，共发现了374个物种的374个类群，分别属于Porifera，Cnidaria，Nemertea，Rotifera，Brachiopoda，Bryozoa，Sipuncula，Annelida，软体动物，节肢动物，Echinodermata和Chordata phyla。此外，研究了在SoS中收集的巨型动物的生物地理学上的亲和力与在地中海中部其他地区发现的易受拖网调查的物种的生物亲和力。除北亚得里亚海和墨西拿海峡外，在所有生物地理区域内均记录了中等亲和力值。西北SoS的底栖生物与北第勒尼安海和利古里亚海的底栖生物具有最高的亲和力（大约共有90％的物种）。但是，我们的结果显示与东南SoS /南爱奥尼亚人，北爱奥尼亚人和中亚得里亚海的物种组成（大约80％的共同物种）具有高度相似性。我们的研究证实了地中海生物区系作为SoS的生物地理过渡区的作用。此外，与东南SoS的本地物种的亲和力较低，并且缺少LESSPEIS物种，这表明西西里岛南部海岸以外的冷水（由于永久上升流）可能会成为调节东部地区之间物种交换的热障。和西部盆地。鉴于当前的气候变化，讨论了对SoS北部部门的这种作用的一些担忧。