Abstract The Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary Islands and Cabo Verde are commonly
united under the term “Macaronesia”. This study investigates the coherency and validity of
Macaronesia as a biogeographic unit using six marine groups with very different dispersal
abilities: coastal fishes, echinoderms, gastropod molluscs, brachyuran decapod
crustaceans, polychaete annelids, and macroalgae. We found no support for the current
concept of Macaronesia as a coherent marine biogeographic unit. All marine groups studied …