The population structure of polychaeta <i>Vigtorniella zaikai </i>(Kisseleva, 1992) in the Black sea and the characterisics of a community in which it is the dominating species
Meiobenthic community with domination of polychaeta Vigtorniella zaikai has been investigated of the Black sea north-western part and for the first time in the region of the Kerch strait. The analysis of the size composition of V. zaikai from the bottom habitats, collected in different years from February to July shows constant domination of the early post-larvae stages. The biggest exemplary had 14 segments of body, and modal group consisted of specimens with 4 segments. V. zaikai has a peak of dominating abundance at the depth about 150 m, in the zone of constant hypoxia and it can serve as an indicator of hypoxia. The composition of all the chains in the community of meiobenthos from the zone of constant hypoxia ( V. zaikai, Protodrilus sp., Nematoda, Hydrozoa, occasional other Metazoa, as well as Protozoa: Ciliophora, Gromia, Foraminifera) has been listed for the first time.