Molluscan Communities of the Florida Keys and Adjacent Areas
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Molluscan Communities of the Florida Keys and Adjacent Areas Molluscan Communities of the Florida Keys and Adjacent Areas Edward J. Petuch Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, USA Robert F. Myers Coral Graphics/Seaclicks, Wellington, Florida, USA Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2014 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Version Date: 20140908 International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4822-4919-4 (eBook - PDF) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the valid- ity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or uti- lized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopy- ing, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http:// www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com Dedication To Linda Petuch, Eric Petuch, Brian Petuch, and Jennifer Petuch and to Patrice Marker, Laura Myers, and Robbie Myers and to the memory of Rachel Carson Contents Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................................xi Introduction ................................................................................................................................. xiii About the Authors ...................................................................................................................... xix Chapter 1 Marine ecosystems of the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, and the Ten Thousand Islands: past and present ....................................................................1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................1 Molluscan ecological research in the Florida Keys and adjacent areas ..................................1 Molluscan faunas of the ancestral Florida Keys .........................................................................5 Geomorphology of the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, and the Ten Thousand Islands ............. 11 Marine ecological units of the Florida Keys and adjacent areas ............................................ 15 Molluscan assemblages of the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, and the Ten Thousand Islands .................................................................................................20 Chapter 2 Molluscan faunas of the vegetated sediment shore macrohabitat (estuarine regime) ..................................................................................................23 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................23 Molluscan ecology of the Black Mangrove forests ...................................................................23 Biodiversity of the Melampus coffeus Assemblage ....................................................................27 Molluscan ecology of the Red Mangrove forests .....................................................................29 Biodiversity of the Crassostrea rhizophorae Assemblage ........................................................... 31 Molluscan ecology of the supratidal hypersaline and brackish pools ..................................35 Biodiversity of the Cerithideopsis costatus Assemblage .............................................................37 Chapter 3 Molluscan faunas of the unvegetated rocky shore macrohabitat (nearshore marine regime) ...................................................................................43 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................43 Molluscan ecology of the supratidal rocky outcrops ...............................................................43 Biodiversity of the Cenchritis muricatus Assemblage ...............................................................45 Molluscan ecology of the littoral rocky outcrops .....................................................................49 Biodiversity of the Nerita versicolor Assemblage .......................................................................53 Molluscan ecology of the sublittoral rocky outcrops ...............................................................53 Biodiversity of the Cerithium lutosum Assemblage ...................................................................58 Chapter 4 Molluscan faunas of the vegetated softbottom macrohabitat (nearshore marine regime) ...................................................................................61 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 61 Molluscan ecology of the Shoal Grass beds .............................................................................. 61 vii viii Contents Biodiversity of the Bulla occidentalis Assemblage .....................................................................66 Molluscan ecology of the Turtle Grass beds .............................................................................69 Biodiversity of the Modulus calusa Assemblage ........................................................................ 81 Chapter 5 Molluscan faunas of the unvegetated hardbottom macrohabitat (nearshore marine regime) ...................................................................................87 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................87 Molluscan ecology of the sponge bioherms ..............................................................................87 Biodiversity of the Cerodrillia clappi Assemblage ......................................................................89 Mollusks of the Yellow Mussel beds ..........................................................................................94 Molluscan ecology of the gorgonian forests .............................................................................95 Biodiversity of the Cyphoma rhomba Assemblage .....................................................................97 Molluscan ecology of the sublittoral exposed hardbottoms ..................................................99 Biodiversity of the Bayericerithium litteratum Assemblage ......................................................99 Chapter 6 Molluscan faunas of the unvegetated softbottom macrohabitat (nearshore marine regime) .................................................................................103 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 103 Molluscan ecology of the intertidal open mudflats ............................................................... 103 Biodiversity of the Batillaria minima Assemblage ................................................................... 107 Molluscan ecology of the sublittoral open carbonate sand seafloors .................................. 109 Biodiversity of the Polinices lacteus Assemblage ..................................................................... 113 Mollusks of the mixed carbonate sand and coral rubble seafloors .....................................122 Mollusks of the Palm Beach coastal lagoons ............................................................................125 Chapter 7 Molluscan faunas of the coral reef tract macrohabitat and gastropod reef macrohabitat (nearshore marine regime) ...............................................135 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 135 Molluscan ecology of the coral reef tract ................................................................................. 135 Biodiversity of the Stephanoconus regius Assemblage