Browsing by Author "Rivonker, Chandrashekher"

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    Mangrove-Associated Molluscan Diversity along Chapora and Sal Estuaries of Goa, West Coast of India
    (2024) Bhat, Mithila; Ravinesh, R; Padate, Vinay; Rivonker, Chandrashekher
    The estuarine shores of Goa feature diverse habitats, including mangroves, sandy, muddy and rocky shores, which support a variety of molluscan assemblages. The present study is an attempt to provide baseline data on the molluscan fauna from the mangrove-associated regions of the Chapora and Sal estuaries in North and South Goa respectively. Intertidal sampling at two selected stations each in Chapora and Sal estuaries were carried out during low tide at monthly intervals from April 2016 to March 2017. The survey revealed a total of thirty-five species belonging to thirty genera from two classes (Gastropoda and Bivalvia), thirteen orders, and twenty-three families of molluscs. Thirteen species including seven species of gastropods and six species of bivalves were recorded for the first time from Goa. The family Veneridae with the commercially important bivalves Pelecyora katiawarensis, Meretrix aurora, M. casta, Marcia opima, M. recens formed the most speciose group. Cassidula nucleus and Platevindex martensi were found on the trunks and roots of mangroves, whereas Indian backwater oyster Magallana bilineata and the hooded oyster Saccostrea cucullata were commonly found at all the four locations. Littoraria pallescens was typically found on the leaves and roots of mangroves especially on the Rhizophora spp. The micro gastropod Optediceros breviculum recorded from the mangrove associated muddy habitats was one of the new records to Goa. It is imperative that the updated database is an integral part of the taxonomy to strengthen the molluscan database. Further, continuous monitoring is necessary considering rapid coastal development and associated rise in pollution.