Echinoderms from the Gulf of Suez and the Northern Red sea

Abstract

The Gulf of Suez is the northwesternmost area of the vast Indo-west Pacific region. Because of its northerly position and shallow depth, the Gulf of Suez is relatively temperate in character and large seasonal changes occur. The surface sea temperatures at the shore in the northwestern Gulf of Suez range from means of about 18°C. in the winter to about 28°C. in the summer (Pearse, 1969a). Accordingly, the Gulf of Suez region may be of special interest to zoogeographers and physiologists, and the presence and especially the absence of Indo-Pacific species may provide indications about some of their limiting tolerances. Moreover, because the Gulf of Suez links the Suez Canal and the eastern Mediterranean to the Red Sea, its fauna is of special importance in any consideration of migration of species through the canal.