Gastropods Diversity in Mangrove Forests of Govater Gulf in Sistan & Baluchestan

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Gastropods Diversity in Mangrove Forests of Govater Gulf in Sistan & Baluchestan Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(3): 36-43 (2019) Archive of SID (http://jwb.araku.ac.ir/) Research Article DOI: 10.22120/jwb.2019.108517.1069 Gastropods Diversity in Mangrove Forests of Govater Gulf in Sistan & Baluchestan species, among which five species were 1 1 Saideh Moradi *, Afshin Danehkar , observed only in this area: Cerithiopsis sp., Malihe Erfani2, Tahereh Ardaki3 Melampus castaneus, Haminoea cf vitra, 1 Nassarius sp. and Umbonium vestiarium. The *Department of Environmental Sciences, gastropods had the highest species number at Faculty of Natural Resources, University of middle point belonging to 20 families, 28 Tehran, Iran, genera, and 36 species and the number of 22 2Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of species (the highest species number) was Zabol, Iran, observed only in this region. Except two species 3Department of Environmental Sciences, Cerithium sp. and Finella pupoides, other Faculty of Natural Resources,University of gastropod species of end point were also present Ardakan, Iran, in other regions. Gastropods of this region *email: [email protected] belonged to 7 families, 10 genera, and 12 Received: 22 April 2019 / Revised: 20 May 2019 / Accepted: 23 species. Comparing this results with other May 2019 / Published online: 24 May 2019. Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology, Arak University, Iran. mangrove forests shows that from the east to west the gastropods diversity has reducing trend; Abstract and the studied area is the most diverse region in The present study was performed to investigate Iran. This study recorded 13 new species from Gastropods diversity in mangrove forests Iran that wasn’t reported before. located at Chabahar Township, Sistan & Baluchestan, Iran. For this purpose some Keywords: Mangrove Forests, Gastropods, homogenous forest masses were isolated and Species Diversity, Govater Gulf, Sistan and field visits were done. In each mass, three Baluchestan Province. vertical transects were selected at the site of Introduction water contact up to land contact and sediment sampling was conducted from first (in contact Mangrove forests create distinctive habitats with the water), middle, and end points of each distinguishable by a remarkable biological transect. Three samples were collected in diversity. These forests provide the animals triplicates and during four successive seasons. with various types of niches including Of 2119 collected gastropod samples, 44 species mangrove leaves, barks, dead wood, roots were identified from 35 genera and 22 families, (pneumatophore), water pool and muddy or among which three species were identified up to sandy sediments. The animals inhibiting these family level, nine up to genus level, and the ecosystems play an important ecological role, remaining up to species level. Among the since they are a major component of nutrient species identified, Asseminea sp.2 and cycling, food webs, and total energy turnover. Asseminea sp.1 were the most abundant species Several factors such as species interaction, with 41.49% and 30.77%, respectively. Species animal-sediment interaction, and Cerithidea cingulata (11.04%) and Stenothyra environmental parameters (salinity, arabica (6.09%) were in subsequent rankings. temperature, oxygen level, pH, etc) affect The identified gastropods at the first point distribution of these organisms (Shafique et al. belonged to 13 families, 16 genera, and 17 www.SID.ir 37 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(3): 36-43 (2019) Archive of SID 2015). Among costal ecosystems, mangrove Sri-aroon et al. (2005) studied gastropod ecosystems need special attention not only assemblage in Gulf of Thailand. Lozouet and because of their unique habitat characteristics, Plaziat (2008) investigated gastropod diversity but also for their rich biodiversity (FAO 2007). in Bohol and Panglao Islands, central They are a proper bed for several pelagic fish Philippines. Zvonareva et al. (2015) studied and crab species migrating to sea while gastropod diversity associated with a planted maturing (Macintosh and Ashton 2002). Since and natural mangrove in Dam Bay of Vietnam several fish, crustacean, and bird species use and reported significant differences between this type of ecosystem or are dependent to it these forests. Ullah et al. (2015) showed during their life cycles, biodiversity is increased molluscs diversity is higher in summer and more in mangrove habitats (Carugati et al. autumn and lower in spring and winter in two 2018). mangrove forests along the Karachi coast of As important scavengers of benthic Pakistan . Also Ullah et al. (2015) studied environments, gastropods play a major role in vertical distribution pattern of molluscs in these tidal flat habitat and ecosystem (Zvonareva and mangrove forest and proved that the number of Kantor 2016). With more than half of all species decreased from high to low tide zone. nominated mollusks, gastropods are one of the Zvonareva and Kantor (2016) studied 65 best founded and most diverse animal groups species of gastropod which 17 of them are (Leal 2006). Numerous mollusks reside considered as predominantly mangrove- mangrove habitats from which Mactra, associated. Some of studied performed in Hiatula, Calista, Dosinia and Chlamys are mangrove forest of Iran done by Danehkar some examples. Some gastropod genera (2001) at the distance between Khamir Port and inhabiting such ecosystems include Trochus, Qeshm, Mohammadi Tahoori (2006) in Clanculus, Planaxis, Natica, Conus, Thais and Gheshm, Rouhipour (2007) in Sirik Protected Siphonaria (El-Sorogy et al. 2016 ). High Area and Ghasemi et al. (2010) at Hara mollusk diversity in mangroves is possibly Protected Area and Gaz and Hara Rivers Delta determined by availability of a wide range of mangroves. microhabitats. Mollusks occupy all food web Identification and measurement of gastropods levels of mangroves as hunters, herbivores, biodiversity and flux in mangrove forests are saprophages, and filter feeders (Cannici et al. important for recognition of their ecosystems. 2008). In a study about benthic micro fauna in As well, gastropods play an important role in Northern Queensland, Australia, among 39 mangrove ecosystem food chain. Regarding the identified taxa, Plychaeta were the most lack of sufficient data about gastropods in abundant group with 19 species and after them, mangrove forests of Sistan and Baluchestan and gastropods were dominant with 9 species their population fluctuations, the present (Dittmann 2001). In an examination of diversity investigation was designed and performed to and abundance of benthic macro fauna along identify and determine gastropods diversity as with Thalassia testudinum of in Ensenada de- symbiotic fauna with mangrove communities in Reyes area of Mochima Gulf, the highest (214 mangrove forests of Govater Gulf of Sistan & samples) and lowest (79 samples) abundance Baluchestan. were reported in October and December, respectively (Jimenez et al. 2000). Material and methods Several references have studied gastropods Study area diversity at different mangrove habitats. A The present investigation was accomplished in study performed by Macintosh et al. (2002) mangrove forests of Govater Gulf located at showed mangrove vegetation diversity is Chabahar Township of Sistan and Baluchestan correlated with gastropod diversity positively. Province, Iran. This gulf is located at www.SID.ir 38 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(3): 36-43 (2019) Archive of SID southeastern extreme on the shores of Sistan kilometers of the length of Bahu Kalat River, and Baluchestan Province (25°1’ - 25°12’N and Hur, and Govater Gulf, which is especially 61°25’ - 61°46’ E). With an area of about 270 important because of having mangrove forests square kilometers, it is 121 kilometers far from and waterfowls. Figure 1 shows the location of Chabahar, of which about 150 square study site at Sistan and Baluchestan Province. kilometers belong to Iran. Bahu Kalat and Govater Gulf is one of the most valuable Dasht Khur Rivers are flowing into this gulf, habitats rich in aquatic organisms. The flow of which is covered by mangrove forests. With two important rivers (Bahu Kalat in Iran and complexes of aquatic systems including rivers, Nahr Dasht in Pakistan) to this gulf and the marshes and gulf and with an area of about entrance of Dashtiari Region’s flood streams 75,000 hectares, International wetland of have prepered a habitat for different kinds of Govater Bay and Hur-e-Bahu are among the 24 aquatic organisms, birds and vegetation of Iranian international wetlands listed in Ramsar plants. This gulf has two bays in Iranian part International Wetlands List. This wetland is 85 consisting of Govater and Hur-e-Bahu (Erfani kilometers far from Chabahar and classified in et al. 2013) that this study was conducted in marine-coastal ponds and contains 60 Govater bay. Figure 1. Location of study area Sampling of gastropods in the study area edge, the second point at the middle of transect Some homogenous and integrated forest masses and the third point at the end of each transect) were isolated visually by the aid of the satellite were converted into GPS data and the location images of the area (IRS-LissIII). In each of transects was identified in field operation. isolated mass at the water contact site, some These samplings were carried out during four points were selected randomly on the image and successive seasons. linear transects were plotted vertically from Fixation, isolation and identification
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