Spatio-temporal Variations in the Distribution Pattern of Key Molluscs in a Rocky Intertidal Habitat Along South Saurashtra Coastline of Gujarat

Bhavik Vakani, Paresh Poriya, Rahul Kundu

Abstract


We studied the distribution  and population ecology of seven gastropod molluscs in the intertidal areas of Veraval coast off Arabian Sea, Gujarat, India. About three km long rocky intertidal at Veraval was divided into two sampling sites. A total of 38 molluscan species belonging to four different classes, including two species of Bivalvia, one species of Cephalopoda, 32 species of Gastropoda and one species of Polyplacophora were recorded. Seven dominant gastropod species were studied for their spatio-temporal distribution. Cellana  karachiensis was dominant in the spray zone, Siphonaria sp. and Cerithium  scabridum  dominated the upper zone while middle and lower zones were dominated by Turbo coronatus and Onchidium verruculatum respectively. Significant spatio-temporal variations in the population were observed at both the sites. Population abundance and frequency were high in the upper littoral but low in the lower littoral zone during the study period.

Keywords


Assemblage; Intertidal Zone; Gastropods; Population Dynamics; Rocky Shore; Saurashtra Coast; Vertical Zones

References


Appukuttan, K.K.1977. Trochus and Turbo fishery in Andamans. Seafood Export Journal 9 (12): 21-25.

Branch, G.M. 1981. The biology of limpet. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review 19: 235-380.

Connell, J.H.1983. On the prevalence and relative importance of inter specific competition, evidence from field experiments. American Naturalist 12: 661-696.

Cook, S.B. and Cook, C.B. 1978. Tidal amplitude and activity in the pulmonate limpets Siphonaria normalis (Gould) and S. alternata (Say). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology35: 119-136

Creese, R.G. 1980. An analysis of distribution and abundance of populations of the high-shore limpet, Notoacmea petterdi (Tenisonwoods ). Oecologia (Berlin) 45: 252-260.

Eaton, C.M. 1968. The activity and food of the file limpet Acmaea limatula. Veliger, Supplement 11: 5-12.

Eernisse, D.J.; Clark, R.N. and Draeger, A. 2007. Polyplacophora. Pages 701-713, In: Carlton, J.T. (Editor). Light and Smith Manual: Intertidal Invertebrates from Central California to Oregon. 4th edition. University of California Press, Berkeley.

Faladu, J., Vakani, B.; Poriya, P. and Kundu, P. 2014. Habitat preference and population ecology of limpets Cellana karachiensis (Winckworth) and Siphonaria siphonaria (Sowerby) at Veraval coast of Kathiawar Peninsula, India. Journal of Ecosystem Article ID 874013, 6 pages, DOI: 10.1155/2014/874013.

Ferreira, J.A. 1983. The genus Chaetopleura Shuttleworth, 1853 in the warm temperate and tropical Eastern Pacific, Southern California to Peru, with the description of two new species. Veliger 25: 203-224.

Fischer, P.1966. Disposition gregaire chez um Cerithium Indo- Pacifique. Journal de Conchyliologie, Paris 105: 49-52.

Gohil, B. and Kundu, R.2011. Ecological status of Rhinoclavis sinensis at Dwarka Coast, Gujarat (India). The Ecoscan.5 (3 & 4): 131-134.

Gohil, B. and Kundu, R. 2013a. Ecological status of Cerethium caeruleum at Dwarka coast, Gujarat (India). Indian Journal of Geo-MarineScience 42(4): 481-486.

Gohil, B. and Kundu, R. 2013b. Ecological status of Cellana radiata at Dwarka Coast, Gujarat, India. Research Journal of Recent Sciences 2(5): 1-5.

Hyman, L.H. 1967. Mollusca. I. The Invertebrates 4: 1-792.

Kawalramani, K.M. and Kadri, E.S.1972. Shell fisheries of India. Seafood Export Journal 4(12): 1-9.

Keen, M.A. 1971. Sea shells of Tropical West America. Marine Mollusks from Baja California to Peru. Stanford University Press, Stanford, USA. 1065 pages.

Little, C.; Williams, G.A. and Trowbridge, C.D. 2009. The Biology of Rock Shores. Oxford University Press, New York. 356 pages.

Malli, P.C.; Prasad, M.N. and Mansuri,A.P. 1982. The response of the limpets Cellana radiata (Born) and Siphonaria siphonaria (Sowerby) of Saurashtra coast to desiccation and waters of different salinity. Journal of Animal Morphology and Physicology 29 (1-2): 71-77.

Misra, R. 1968. Ecology Work Book. Oxford and IBH Publishing, Calcutta. 242 pages.

Misra, S. and Kundu, R. 2005. Seasonal variations in population dynamics of key intertidal molluscs at two contrasting locations. Aquatic Ecology 39: 315-324.

Newell, R.C. 1970. Biology of Intertidal Animals. Elek Books, London. 555 pages.

Patel, A.N.1984. Ecological Studies on Two Cerithiid Gastropods, Cerrithium caerulum (Sowerby) and Clypeomorus monoliferus (Miener) from Saurashtra Coasts, India, Ph.D. Thesis, Saurashtra University, India. 184 pages.

Prasad, M.N. and Mansuri, A.P. 1982. Population density of the Limpet, Cellana radiata (Born) in polluted waters at Porbandar, West coast of India. Indian Journal of GeoMarine Science11: 180-181.

Prasad, M.N.1984. Ecological Studies on Two Limpets Cellana radiata (Born) and Siphonaria siphonaria (Sowerby) from Saurashtra Coast, India. Ph.D. Thesis, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, India. 305 pages.

Quinno, G.P. 1988. Ecology of the intertidal pulmonate limpet Siphonaria dimenensis Quoy et Gaimard. I. Population dynamics and availability of food. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 117: 115-136.

Rao, H.S. 1939. Consolidated Report on the Shell Fisheries in Andaman During the Year 1930-35. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta. 130 pages.

Reid, D.G. 2007. The Genus Echinolittorina Habe, 1965 (Gastropoda: Littorinidae) in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. Zootaxa 1420: 1-161.

Reyes-Gómez, A. 2004. Chitons in Mexican waters. Bollettino Malacologico 5: 69-82.

Samantaray, K.C. 1979. Edible Limpet Cellana radita (Born) (Mollusca: Patellidae) at Veraval Coast of Saurashtra. M. Sc. Dissertation, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, India.

Sarvaiya, R.T. 1977. Studies on Mollusca of Saurashtra Coasts-l. Fish Technology 1: 27-32.

Slieker, F.J.A. 2000. Chitons of the World: An Illustrated Synopsis of Recent Polyplacophora. L’Informatore piceno, Ancona, Italy. 154 pages.

Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. 1987. Introduction to Biostatistics., Dover Publications.San Francisco. 260 pages.

Underwood, A.J. 2000. Experimental ecology of rocky intertidal habitats: what are we learning? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 250: 51-76.

Underwood, A.J. and Chapman, M.G. 1996. Scales of spatial patterns of distribution of intertidal invertebrates. Oecologia 107: 212-224.

Vaghela, A., 2010, Spatial and Temporal Variations in Population Dynamics of Few Key Rocky Intertidal Macrofauna at Anthro-pogenically Influenced Intertidal Shoreline. Ph.D. thesis, Saurashtra University, Rajkot.

Vakani, B., 2013. Study on the Structure of a Rocky-Muddy Intertidal Assemblage. M. Phil. Thesis, Saurashtra University, Rajkot.

Vaghela, A.; Bhadja, P.; Ramoliya, I.; Patel, N. and Kundu, R. 2010. Seasonal variations in the water quality, diversity and population ecology of intertidal macrofauna at an industrially influenced coast. Water Science and Technology 61(6): 1505-1514.

Vakani, B., Poriya, P. and Kundu, R. 2014. Spatio-temporal variations in the population ecology of two limpets in a rocky intertidal shore of South Saurashtra coast (Gujarat: India). The Ecoscan 8(1&2): 71-75.

Williams, S.T. and Reid, D.G. 2004. Speciation and diversity on tropical rocky shores: A global phylogeny of snails of the Genus Echinolittorina. Evolution 58: 2227-2251.


Full Text: PDF

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

COPYRIGHT of this Journal vests fully with the National Instional Institute of Ecology. Any commercial use of the content on this site in any form is legally prohibited.