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The effects of salinity on the density, shell size and survival of a mangrove gastropod: laboratory and field evidence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2015

Rafaela Camargo Maia  and
Ricardo Coutinho
Rafaela Camargo Maia*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Ecologia de Manguezais, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Ceará, Campus Acaraú, Avenida Desembargador Armando de Sales Louzada, s/n, CEP 62580-000 Acaraú – CE, Brazil
Ricardo Coutinho
Affiliation:
Departamento de Oceanografia, Divisão de Biotecnologia Marinha, Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira, Arraial do Cabo, RJ, CEP: 28930-000, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to:R.C. Maia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Manguezais, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Ceará, Campus Acaraú, Avenida Desembargador Armando de Sales Louzada, s/n, CEP 62580-000, Acaraú – CE, Brazil Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The macro-detritivore gastropod Melampus coffeus plays an important role in energy transfer in neotropical mangroves and, because it consumes tree leaves, it may be a potential ecological indicator of degraded mangrove areas. The objective of this study was to analyse the spatial-temporal distribution and population dynamics parameters of M. coffeus in mangroves and correlate environmental variables with population density, shell morphology and survival. Samples were collected monthly in two mangrove forests with different salinities, located on the north-eastern coast of Brazil. Height, width and aperture height of the animals’ shell were measured. The effects of salinity on population density and size distribution in M. coffeus were evaluated in field and laboratory experiments. The results showed that populations of M. coffeus present low density and are composed of large individuals during the dry season in both mangrove forests. These populations are denser and show predominance of small individuals during the rainy season when salinity decreases. The results obtained in the experiments confirm the observations in the field. Animals at extreme sizes (small and large) subjected to different salinity treatments over a moderate period showed higher mortality rates than individuals of intermediate size.

Keywords

GrowthMelampus coffeusPulmonatatropical estuaryshell morphology
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 96 , Issue 6 , September 2016 , pp. 1191 - 1199
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2015 

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