Biodiversity in Darwin Harbour Region

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Biodiversity in Darwin Harbour Region Molluscs Richard Willan, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory The total number of marine and estuarine mollusc species recorded from Darwin Harbour is 1096 species. However, this diversity is low compared to similar areas on the same latitude elsewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The mollusc fauna of Darwin Harbour is similar to the Kimberley coast. The largest families of molluscs in Darwin Harbour are bivalves – Veneridae (venus clams; 42 species) and Tellinidae (wafer clams; 40 species). The latter are all deposit feeders. Only four of these species are restricted to mangrove forests. Over 100 species of molluscs are obligate associates of mangrove forests. They belong almost exclusively to just a few families – Potamididae (longbums), Iravadiidae (irivadiid snails), Onchidiidae (mangrove slugs), Ellobiidae (ear snails) and Glauconomidae (glauconome clams). The largest species of gastropod in the world, the false trumpet snail (Syrinx aruanus), lives in Darwin Harbour. The most iconic group of gastropods, the nudibranchs, is relatively poorly represented in Darwin Harbour with only 68 species. Small molluscs are very abundant in the harbour and form major components of the food for fishes and migratory wading birds. About two-thirds of all the molluscs in Darwin Harbour are smaller than 10 mm when adult. Nudibranchs such as this Mexichromis multituberculata are brightly coloured snails without shells. The colours warn fishes that nudibranchs are distasteful. Other organisms in the background include two types of compound sea squirts (ascidians). Photo: Neil Wright 5.

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