Open AccessDistribution pattern of Anomalocardia brasiliana Gmelin, 1971 (Mollusca, Bivalvia) in a tropical coastal ecosystem
Author(s) -
Soraya Giovanetti El-Deir,
Sigrid NeumannLeitão,
Pedro Augusto Mendes de Castro Melo
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
tropical oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1679-3013
pISSN - 1679-3005
DOI - 10.5914/tropocean.v37i1-2.5152
Subject(s) - bivalvia , mollusca , transect , biology , estuary , ecology , abundance (ecology)
Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin, 1791) (Bivalvia, Veneridae) distribution pattern was studied from September 2006 to June 2007 in the Itamaracá tropical estuarine system in Northeastern Brazil. Three areas were selected and in each one three transects with three equidistant stations were plotted. At each station, four samples were collected with a 0.0626 m2 quadrate. Shell morphometric measurements showed the presence of four size classes, varying from 20 mm. A total of 56,865 individuals of A. brasiliana were collected and the three banks studied showed significant differences in abundance (Kruskal-Wallis-Dunn p< 0.05). Ramalho area presented 49% of the total collected individuals and the size class 11 to 15 mm predominated in all sites. Key words: Bivalve mollusk; Anomalocardia brasiliana; Distribution pattern.