University of the Pacific Scholarly Commons University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 1972 The ecological life history and feeding biology of Batillaria zonalis (Bruguière) Robert Bruce Whitlatch University of the Pacific Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds Part of the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Whitlatch, Robert Bruce. (1972). The ecological life history and feeding biology of Batillaria zonalis (Bruguière). University of the Pacific, Thesis. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/416 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 'l'HE 'l!:COI..OOICJ.L L!F'E HISTORY AND F'E'.;."!UNC BIOUX:Y OF' JU;'l'ILY.ARJA &lli\tJJ! ( ERUGUIERE) I I A Thesis ! r l Uni YEl1'lli ty of the Pacific: j In 1-'"atial F'l:tlfillment ~tar of Science --~--. This thesis, written and submitted by Robert Bruce Whitlatch is approved for recommendation to the Committee on Graduate Studies, University of the Pacific. Department Chairman or Dean: Thesis Committee: /4Mt tfl~· Chairman w.. j)/1 f~ Dated'------------------------------------- I would sincerely Uke to thank Dr, Steven Obt'el:m<ld for ali the helpful suggestions a;Jd constant encouragement that he gave me dur:lne all phases of this roseat)(lh and JTI\f two year stay at the Pae:!.fie Marine Station, He ahrays "madel'' time to listen to my problee am was will~ ing to generate itlformat:l. ve diacnss:l.orus to solve them, I wish to tha..'lk !lim for the use of the \lang computer and his program U bra.:cy • . aids that made analyzing the data much easier, I am grateful for the s\lggestions that D't'S, E,H, Smith, W,J3, Gladfelter, and J ,A, Blake made concerning this manuscript, Dr, R,G, Jo!L'!Son gave info:t'lilative suggestions. eoneernirlg the initial stages of the resea'X!h on the feooing biology of the g-<~Stropods, duri¥1g Jil\l'll'.ll.:r.y 1971! A•. ~:, Hajek for her unpublished de;ta an the trem- a.tooe parasi.tes of ~-11:!J£l:ias and S, Ho.ffman for hls help in photo·· gntph:!.ng a!W. printi:r.g many of the figures, Ann-·""'las it trudging through the Jl!lU'Shes and typir;g the :manuscr'i pt or tnl.G it cm.rulll!!l-m,:x and ~rine • • • ohe wh<!.t a dif.ferenoe ~rou ilave made • • • ?:'Ji.BL!il Q~' CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGE!o!ENTS 111 • • • •• . ~ • • • • • • • • • • •• LIST OF TA1J1..ES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ~ • • • • • • • • • LIS1' OF FIGURES, • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ix I INTRODUC'I'It\N • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • l , HAlliTAT. ·' , • • • - • • • 8 • • • • • • • " ... ' . METHODS AND !fill. TEIUALS. , • • • • • • • 19 I GENERAL BIOLOGY, , , 20 • • • • • • • • ' . • • • • • DISPERSIO!\l . .. • • • • ~ 8 ' . 0 • • " • • . ' • • • • • GROl/Tl! , , • 0 • ;a • • • • • . ' . -D " . ' • • • ' . ' . • • I }larked Individual Animals . ' . ' ••• I REPRODUGTION AN'u RECRUIT!1ENT , • " , I PREDA'I'OHS AND PARASITES 0~' ~'l;M.i'!.11\. , , , , , , , , , ., , , • PO'P.ULATION ABUNDANCE Al'lD AGJ\J-S'l'RUC'TURE , • • • • • Walker Creeka Station..'! 1, 2. ani :; , , •• , • , , , , , , 67 Stations 4 and 5 , c tl .. .. • • 68 l~illert.om Millert.ons . ~ • • • ' . 93 Selecttv:l.ty , • • 93 • • • • . '. "' 0 $ • " • • . ' 95 • • 95 SPECIES :UJVJ,;HSI1'Y, , , , , . ' • • v STABILI1~ IN NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS, , , , • • • • 109 GENERAL FAC1'0RS LIIUTING THE GROWTH OF POPu:t.ATit1NS , ' . • • • 11.5 Environmental Preclictab111ty, , • , , , , , , • • • , , , • 116 Predictability of Food., , • • • •• . " • • • • . .. 117 Salt Marsh Anil!la.1 Feeding St.rategies. and. Community Stab- .llity, ••••• ~ • • . ~ .. ? • • Sl.Jlt!MARY • , $ ~ • • • • • • • • • • • e ~ • • • • • • • ' . LITERA'l'URE CITf'J'J , • • to • .J $ •• ~ • • • Ill " • • • • • APPENDIX A - ESTII1ATES OF' THE NEGATIVE BIN011IAI, PARii~IETJt"R k, • • - APPENDIX B - ESTIMA'flJS OF MEAN CROW!llNG AND PATCHINESS , , , • • I 1 LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE I, Percentages of Total Marsh Area Between Successive Con• tour Intervals , , • , , , • e • • • e e e • • • • • • • 7 II. Distribution of Marsh Plitnts in the Tomales Bay Salt l~arsh. • • ,• • • • • 1o • • • • • • • to ,0 lfl • • • • • * !l 8 III. Neasuremants of Surface Sediment and Wa·ter Temp&mtuxes ------ in the Sampling Areas of ~lalker Creek ani Millerton, ' ' 9 IV, Cx' a Coefficient of Aggregation, Walker Creek , , , , , , )1 v. ex• a Coefficient of Aggregation, Millerton, :• • , , , , , 32 VI, Variance/mean Ratios, Walker Creek • • • • • :n VII, Va:d.ance/mean Ratios, H:tlJ.erton, , • • • • • • • • • • ' . )4 ; VIII, J at Walker ~'r'eek and Millert-on, • ,. • a & . ' 57 IX, Density }::Sti!o.ates of Juveniles Settling on tho Wallter Creek and Millerton Salt !l.arshes , , • , • • . ' . • • • x. Chi-square Analysis of the Sex Rat:l.os of Bat11J,g!.ri.;}.. • • • XI, Number and Percentage of Snails Stu•vi ving Desiccation at Nine Time Intervals • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ' • • 71 ; A·I. Estimates of the Negative.Binomial k for R"'ti}J,arl~. ' Station 1, Walker Creek,.,-, • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 132 A-II, Estimates of the Negative Bino1uial k for~~~. Station 2 0 Walker Creek, , , , , • • • 133 A-III, Estimates of the Negative Binomial It for Batill'"x::j,~, Station 3. Walker C:t·eelt, , , , , e " o 11 t1 e O· 11 " .e • 111 A-IV, Estimates of the Negative Binomial k for ~i!ll~. • • • 1:35 A-V. Esti!liates of the Negative Binomial k for Bat"JJ,.alj.a• Station 5, Walker Creek, • , , , • • • • • • 0 ~ • • • • 136 A~VI, Estimates of the Negative Binomial k for~~~. Station 1, Mlllerton , , • • , , , , • , • • , • , ' . 137 A-VII, Estimates of the Neg-<ltive Binomial k for ~l.a;r.a, Station 2, Millerton • , , , , , • • • • • • • 0 • • • • 138 Station 3, Millerton , , • , , , • • • 139 A-IX. Estimates of the Negat1 ve Bin01nial k fo:r ~·p~l)JJ,J'_ia, Station 4, Mil~erton • , • , , , • • • · A-X, Es'c5.mates of the Negative Binomial k for ;r.-a~rla • Station 5, Millerton , , , , , , , , , , • , , , , • , , J.IH 1, Walker Creek, , • , , • • , • , , , • • , , , , , • , 147 ·B-II, Moment Estimates of Mean Crowding arrl Patchiness, Station 2, Walker Creek, , • , • @ • ft ~ • o • • o • e • ¢ • o Q 148 l:l-III, ~Joment Estimates of !1ean Crowding and Patchiness, Station. 3, Walke.r Creek, • , , B•IV, Homent F..stir~ate:;:: of Mean Cr~ding v.r.JJ. l'atehh1css, Stat:l.on . ' - . 4, Walker Creek, , , • • • o • o • o ~ e • • ~ . e • ~ * • B-V, Hommrt Estinw.tes of Mean Crowding andPatehiness 0 Station 5o Walker Creek, , , , e ~ • • & t & e c • • • w • • o • 1.51 B·VI, Moment Estimates of Mean Crowding and Patchiness. Station 1, Millerton , . ' . viii 13-VII, Mome!rt Estimates of 11ean Crowding and Patch1ne.'!ls 0 Sta.tlon 2 • Millerton , ~ • e • • • • o e i • • • a ~ • . • t • e • B-VIII, Moment Estimates of !1ean Crowding and Patchiness, Station :), Millerton , • -· • • • • • • • • • • • • • .• • • • 0 • 13-IX. Moment Estimates of Naan Crowding aoo Patchiness, Station 4 1 Millerton • 9 • • • ~ • • • • • 0 • • • • • . • • • • • 1.5.5 B-X, Mora-:~nt F.sti!\la.t~?.s oi' Mean Cr<llld1.ng and Patchiness, StaUon ----'------ 5. M:l.llerton , e 11 ' • 8 • • • • ~ • • ~ • • ~ • • ~ ~ • ll-XI. Monu:mt EstiP~ates of Mean Crowding and Pateh:tne:ss, Station 6• Millerton • • • • • • • • ' ~ • • • 8 ~ • • 8 • • • • LIS'!' OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1, Map of Tomales Bay, Oa.J.ifornia, _Depicting the Locations of the Salt Marshes Studied , , , , , , ~ . ~ . 10 2, Dlagramma.tic ~la.p of the Millerton Salt. Marsh lr.dicating the Position.~ of the Sampling LocaJ~ties , , , , • , , , , • . ' 11 the Positions of the Sampling Localities , , • , , o • e • • l2 4, D:lagxammatic l'!8.p of Millerton Salt Marsh Showing the Distribution of Different Plant Assemblages, •• , • • • • • 13 5, Diagrammatic ~la.p of Walker Creek Salt Marsh Shmring. the Dist:;:1.1mt:! .. on cf Different Pl:;u~t Ac:t>crablages, • , , , 14 • • • • - 6, ll';d;;:.r .and !lpr·&Y' Substra:t.e ~l'emper<~.tur.,s Taken At Walhr - C:r·eek, Station ), on December 160 197'0 , , , • , , , • • • • 15 ? , Water Temperature~:~ Taken at Walker Creek and Millerton Salt Ma:r:shes Ba-tween January 1971 and Ap:rll 1972. • • • 16 8, Average Monthly Air Temperatures Between Januaey 1971 arld May 1972 Compared with the 4-year J4onthly Mean 'fempera- tures, 1? • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • !' 9. Rair.f'all Occurring Betneen Ja.nuary 1971 and Yuay 19'12 Compe;red ;;;; with 4-year Grand. Monthly l1e.-.n F-airJfa.ll, , .;; .• • • • • • • • lB - 10, ·Histograms Showing the Frequency Illilices and RelaHve Dem;Hies Wa.J.ker Creek and Millerton • , , , ••• 23 11, F.stirnates. of Patchiness for .~i!.U.ll~.tl£!., St.ation 1 0 Walker C:r:eek. · , ~ • • , • It • • It • , If 6 • " " • * • • • • 0 • •• 35 ',,J.ko Creek, • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 36 13. F.stima.tes of'. Patchiness. for ~:Ullm.!!, StaUon 3, Walker Creek, • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 37 14, Size-frequency Distrtbutlons of Ba.tlllari!l, StaUonl, Walker Creek • • • • • • • • • • • ·• • • • • • • • • • • • • L~.J. 15. S!ze~f:requency Distributions of ~:till~:ri!!:o Station2, Walker Creek • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 42 16, Size-frequency Distributions of~. Station :3, Walker Creek • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ·• • • • • • 43 I - 17. Size-frequency