Invertebrate faunal zonation on rocky shores around Mombasa, Kenya.
The zonation of 36 species of rocky shore invertebrates at Mkomani and Nyali cliffs, Mombasa, Kenya, is described. Studies of their positioning on the cliffs compared to those of other parts of the Western Indian Ocean showed that the species which abundantly appeared in the littoral fringe were Littorina kraussi, L. scabra, Nodolittorino natalensis, Nerita plicata and N. undata; in the upper eulittoral zone were Isognomon dentifier, Acmaea profunda, Crassostrea cucullata, Nerita textilis, Acanthopleura spinigera, Thais savignyi, Purpura rudolphi and Morula anexeres, while in the lower eulittoral zone were Echinometra mathaei, Drupa ricina, D. morum, Nerita albicilla, Tetraclita squamosa and Morula granulata. The herbivorous neritids exhibited a more orderly interspecific zonation than the carnivorous thaisids which appeared erratic. The possible influence of topography on zonation in this tropical situation is discussed.
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| Format: | Journal Contribution biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1984
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| Subjects: | Invertebrate larvae, Check lists, Ecological zonation, Species diversity, Rocky shores, Littorina kraussi, Littorina scabra, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/6701 http://hdl.handle.net/1834/6701 |
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