2002/08/01 by A.-G. Haubois, J.-M. Guarini, Jean‐Marc Guarini +6 · 19 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Annual cycle #Bay #Biology #Demography #Ecology #Gastropoda #Geology #Intertidal zone #Marine Biology and Ecology Research #Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies #Marine and coastal plant biology #Oceanography #Population #Population cycle #Predation #Prosobranchia #Transect
paper · doi:10.1017/s0025315402005945
published in Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 82(4), 605-614 (Cambridge University Press)
openalex publication_date 2002/08/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Spatio–temporal changes in density, breeding cycle, growth and population structure of Hydrobia ulvae (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia) were studied by monthly sampling of a wide bare mudflat in Marennes-Oléron Bay. Four stations, located along a cross-shore transect and characterized by different geomorphological structures, were investigated from March 2000 to February 2001. Hydrobia ulvae was mainly distributed in the upper half part of the mudflat and no individuals were found in the lower part. The breeding cycle extended from March to December and showed two annual peaks, in spring and in autumn. Three cohorts were recruited during the year and showed high growth rates during summer; the parameters of the von Bertalanffy model describing the growth curves were equal to k max =0·47±0·5 mm month −1 and L ∞ =5·4±0·2 mm. The snail population had similar size–frequency structure along the transect at the beginning of the survey but summer recruitment initiated spatial differentiation. Reproduction occurred in the middle part of the mudflat but recruits mainly settled down at the upper level of the mudflat; new cohorts appeared with increasing individual densities. The middle part of the mudflat was rather dominated by adult individuals which showed large density fluctuations.