Occurrence, abundance, and diversity of intertidal gastropods at rocky shore of Mubarak Village
Baloch, A. (2025). Occurrence, abundance, and diversity of intertidal gastropods at rocky shore of Mubarak Village. Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences 34(2): 107–116
In: Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences. The Marine Reference Collection and Resource Centre, University of Karachi: Karachi. ISSN 1019-8415; e-ISSN 2710-4583, more
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| Keywords |
Seasonal variations
Species composition
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| Author keywords |
Gastropod diversity, Mubarak Village, Northern Arabian Sea |
| Abstract |
The present study provides the first comprehensive assessment of the occurrence, abundance, and diversity of intertidal gastropods at the rocky shore of Mubarak Village, Karachi coast (Northern Arabian Sea). A total of 51 gastropod species belonging to 22 families were recorded, representing both prosobranch and opisthobranch taxa. Family-level analysis revealed Muricidae as the most dominant group, followed by Cerithiidae, Cypraeidae, and Conidae. Seasonal variation influenced species abundance, with the highest number of individuals recorded during the North-East Monsoon (N = 128) and the lowest during the Second Intermediate Monsoon (N = 68). The present findings expand on earlier fragmentary reports from Mubarak Village, which were limited to biochemical or physiological studies of Siphonaria and Cellana species, by providing a complete faunal inventory. This study establishes a crucial baseline for future ecological monitoring, biodiversity assessment, and conservation planning of Karachi’s intertidal ecosystems. |
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