ILICA BAY (ÇEŞME-İZMİR) BENTHIC FORMINIFER-OSTRACOD ASSEMBLAGES AND PACIFIC OCEAN ? RED SEA ORIGINATED FORAMINIFERA AND ABNORMAL INDIVIDUALS

In order to define contemporaneous benthic foraminifera series in surface sediments collected from the surroundings of hot spring locating at 2.50 m depth to the southeast of the Yıldız Cape, Ilıca Bay (Çeşme-İzmir), a total of 38 samples were collected from the three different transects. The Pacific Ocean and Red Sea originated benthic foraminifera species found in this study are; Nodopthalmidium antillarum (Cushman), Spiroloculina antillarum d’Orbigny, Triloculina fichteliana d’Orbigny, Euthymonacha polita (Chapman), Coscinospira acicularis (Batsch), Peneroplis arietinus (Batsch), Amphisorus hemprichii Ehrenberg, Sorites orbiculus Ehrenberg, Cymbaloporetta plana (Cushman). In addition to these species, Peneroplis arietinus (Batsch), Spiroloculina antillarum d’Orbigny, Triloculina cf. fichteliana d’Orbigny and Cymbaloporetta plana (Cushman) which were recorded on the southwest coasts of Antalya were also found in this region. Euthymonacha polita (Chapman) which was first recorded in Kuşadası Bay is also abundant in Ilıca Bay. This observation shows a northward distribution of this species. Coscinospira acicularis (Batsch) is a southwest Pacific originated species which is also found in Gulf of Aqaba, north of Red Sea. It is a typical alien species inhabiting the Ilıca Bay. This is the first record of this species both for the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Amphistegina lobifera Larsen was abundantly found around two submarine springs in Kuşadası Bay, situating at the south of Ilıca Bay. It was also recorded on the northwestern coasts of Karaburun Peninsula to the north of the study area. Meanwhile, the absence of Amphistegina lobifera Larsen in Ilıca Bay is the most striking feature of this study. Si, Mg and Mo concentrations of some of the colored Peneroplis planatus (Fichtel ve Moll) individuals are high but the concentration of rare earth elements, such as Tc, Pa, Ru and Mo were obtained from the shells in some of the sampling points.