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Marine Gastropods (Gastropoda Mollusca) Diversity and Distribution On Intertidal Rocky Shores of Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia

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Marine gastropods (Gastropoda; Mollusca) diversity and distribution on


intertidal rocky shores of Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia

Article  in  AACL Bioflux · July 2018

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Marine gastropods (Gastropoda; Mollusca)
diversity and distribution on intertidal rocky
shores of Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia
Nursalwa Baharuddin, Nurul B. Basri, Nurul H. Syawal

School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Malaysia Terengganu University, Kuala


Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. Corresponding author: N. Baharuddin,
nursalwa@gmail.com

Abstract. Rocky shores are considered heterogenous environments due to their composition and
structure. Therefore, they support numerous habitats of flora and fauna. Organisms found on rocky
shores are facing intense physicochemical conditions during tidal changes from upper to lower intertidal
zones. Gastropoda, or snails, belonging to the phylum Mollusca, have colonized highly contrasting
habitats with single taxonomic orders represented in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial domains. To
date, there is no documented evidence on the diversity of molluscan fauna found by intertidal rocky
shores along the South China Sea in Peninsular Malaysia. This study determines the diversity and
distribution of gastropods present along two intertidal rocky shores, Tanjung Jara and Teluk Bidara, in
Dungun District, Terengganu, between November 2016 and February 2017. A total of five subclasses of
gastropods (Caenogastropoda, Heterobranchia, Neritimorpha, Patellogastropoda and Vetigastropoda)
belonging to nine families and 28 species were found from upper to lower intertidal zones. On Tanjung
Jara, the upper zone was recorded to have the highest diversity and evenness indices (Shannon-Wiener
diversity index: H’ = 0.702±0.213, and Pielou’s evenness index: J’ = 0.303±0.075) compared to the
lower and middle zones. Planaxidae and Muricidae were the most predominant species found in all
intertidal zones. In contrast, the lower zone in Teluk Bidara was recorded to have the highest diversity
and evenness indices (Shannon-Wiener diversity index: H’ = 0.414±0.082, and Pielou’s evenness index:
J’ = 0.269±0.028) compared to the upper and middle zones. Littorinidae and Neritidae species were
predominant here. Although the diversity and evenness indices (H’ and J’) of marine gastropods in both
study sites were categorised as low, several selected species were found to be high in abundance. This
study contributes to a complete checklist on macroinvertebrates of the South China Sea.
Key Words: intertidal zones, South China Sea, snails, evenness, abundance.

Introduction. A rocky shore is an intertidal area located at the shoreline between low
and high tides and is made up of mainly solid rocks (Miller 2004; Coughlan & Crowe
2009). Depending on the slope and elevation, coasts that have steep gradients are
known as cliffs or exposed rocky shores that are pounded by waves (Miller 2004; Cruz et
al 2014). Rocky shores can be divided into tidal ranges with three zones: supratidal,
intertidal, and subtidal. Supratidal, or the splash zone, can be identified from the upper
region that is covered during extremely high tides or spring tides (0.7 m, chart datum,
CD) and is shaped by breaking waves (Knox 2001). The intertidal zone is a transition
zone, known as vertical zonation, and can be divided into three subzones set by different
biological and physical factors: upper, middle, and lower (Ellis 2003). Finally, the subtidal
zone is partially submerged and never exposed to the atmosphere (Knox 2001). During
the highest tides, all three intertidal subzones are submerged, and the low tide zone is
only exposed during the lowest tides (Molles 2016). Rocky shores are considered
heterogenous environments (Araújo et al 2005) due to their composition (substrate such
as cobbles, boulders, pebbles, blocks, and rock platforms) and structure (slope and
gradient). Therefore, they support numerous habitats for flora and fauna (Cruz et al
2014). This in turn influences the distribution and abundance of rocky shore communities
along the gradient (Archambault & Bourget 1996; Pandey & Thiruchitrambalam 2018).

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Organisms found on rocky shores are facing intense physicochemical conditions
during tidal changes from upper to lower intertidal zones. This includes regular exposure
to air during low tide as well as differences in environmental parameters such as
temperature, salinity, pH, and oxygen that occur perpendicular to the shore (Smith 2013;
Chappuis et al 2014; Marshall et al 2013). Other factors such as exposure to wind and
breaking waves, desiccation from sunlight, irradiance, high salinity, and predation by
terrestrial animals (Smith 2013) are among the threats for organisms that live in this
ecosystem. Despite these challenges, resilient and resistant organisms such as algae,
lichens, barnacles, and molluscs are commonly found in such environments (Moyse &
Smith 1963; Coughlan & Crowe 2009).
Gastropoda, or snails (Class Gastropoda), belongs to phylum Mollusca. It is the
second largest phylum after Arthropoda (insects), estimated at 80,000–100,000
described species (Strong et al 2008; Pechenik 2016). From an ecological perspective,
snails have colonized highly contrasting habitats, with single taxonomic orders being
represented in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial domains (Dayrat et al 2011; Webb
2012). Gastropods are algal feeders, detritivores, and deposit feeders (Houbrick 1984;
Plaziat 1984). They are soft bodied animals, covered by single coiled and calcareous
shells varying in size, shape, and color. Gastropods are economically important as a
source of protein, decorations, dye, and medicines (Haszprunar & Wanninger 2012;
Garza et al 2012; Ahmad et al 2018). In addition, these organisms are crucial in the
marine food chain as part of the natural diet of fishes and birds.
A large survey on marine mollusc diversity and abundance on the East and West
Coasts of Peninsular Malaysia was first done by Purchon from 1973 to 1974 (Morris &
Purchon 1981; Purchon & Purchon 1981; Way & Purchon 1981). The survey collected 301
species from Class Gastropoda and all vouchers were deposited at the British Natural
History Museum in London. Since then, scientific studies on tropical rocky shores are
scarce, although a handful of studies were completed in Malaysia by Aziz et al (2001),
Kee Alfian et al (2005), Tan et al (2007), Wong et al (2008), and Siti-Balkhis et al
(2014). These studies covered limited geographical ranges and ecosystems, such as the
intertidal areas of islands and coral reefs. To date, there is no documented evidence on
the diversity of molluscan fauna in the intertidal zones of the South China Sea in
Peninsular Malaysia. Therefore, the present study’s objective was to identify marine
gastropods on intertidal rocky shores and to determine and compare the richness,
abundance, diversity (Shannon-Wiener index), and evenness (Pielou index) of gastropods
in intertidal zones along the coastline of Terengganu.

Material and Method

Study sites. This study was conducted at Teluk Bidara and Tanjung Jara, which are
situated in the middle coastline of Terengganu located to the north of the Dungun district
(Figure 1). It is about 90–115 km from Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, along the East Coast of
Malaysia. The two study sites are Tanjung Jara (04°48.886΄N, 103°25.487΄E) and Teluk
Bidara (04°46.848΄N, 103°26.136΄E). Tanjung Jara is well-known as a favorite tourist
spot due to sandy beaches facing the South China Sea (Figure 2A). It is full of solid
rocks, boulders, and fine sands and is exposed to an open area that is subjected to
monsoonal effects annually. Tanjong Jara Resort, a five-star hotel located nearby this
area, has made some areas restricted and not accessible by the public. In contrast, Teluk
Bidara is close to fisherman villages. Activities such as making fish crisps and fishing can
be seen there. This site is covered due to the presence of Pulau Tenggol, compared to the
open area in Tanjung Jara (Figure 2A, B). In addition, most fishermen park their boats
around the area. Teluk Bidara has a vertical elevation that shapes a small cave and the
substrate is composed of solid rocks and coarse sand (Figure 2B).

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Figure 1. Map of study sites which are Tanjung Jara and Teluk Bidara located at the
Dungun district, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. Source: Google Earth 2015.

A B

Figure 2. Landscape differences of intertidal rocky shore of Tanjung Jara (A) and Teluk
Bidara (B). Vertical elevation of hill that shape a small cave in surrounding of Teluk
Bidara has made this area covered compared to an exposed and open sea at Tanjung
Jara.

Sampling procedures. Sampling was carried out from November 2016 and February
2017 during spring low tide (0.5 m chart datum, CD: 9 AM to 12 PM). The geographical
locations of the study sites were recorded using a hand-held GPS (60CSx Garmin). The
intertidal area was divided into three traditional zones: upper, middle, and lower
intertidal shores. At each study site, a transect of 40 m length and 10 m width was laid
perpendicular to the shore and samples were collected from high tide to low tide marks
(Long et al 2014). For quantitative data, six quadrats of 1 m2 were placed randomly
(English et al 1997) following random number generator. Rocks, crevices, and holes were
searched for gastropods. Rocks that were hand lifted or overturned during the search
procedure were returned to reduce disturbance towards the ecosystem (Chapman &
Underwood 1996). From each quadrat, the number of individuals was counted and
recorded. Photos from each quadrat were captured. In the field, collection of organisms
in large quantities was avoided to not put stress on the biodiversity. Therefore, maximum
effort for species identification was carried out at the site. Only representatives of
gastropods (10-15 individuals) per species and unidentified species were handpicked, put
into labeled plastic bags, and brought back to the laboratory.

Species identification. Gastropods were cleaned using a brush and washed with tap
water to remove algal film, other encrustations, and debris. Identification of gastropods
was based on morphological characteristics such as shape, color, and shell

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characteristics. Snails were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level using
taxonomic identification keys of Abbott & Dance (1982), Abbott (1991), Long & Ramli
(2010), Baharuddin & Marshall (2014), and Tan & Chou (2000). The validity of species
names was also reviewed from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) database.
Shell morphometrics such as shell length and shell width were measured using vernier
calipers with ±0.01 mm accuracy. For each species, photographs were taken using a Nikon
D7000 DSLR camera. All voucher specimens were fixed and preserved in 70% ethanol. All
specimens were deposited at the South China Sea Repository and Reference Centre of the
Institute of Oceanography and Environment in Malaysia University Terengganu.

Data analysis. The density of marine gastropods was determined as number of


individuals/m2.
Diversity was calculated using Shannon-Wiener index (H'):
S
H '   pi log pi
i 1
In the above, H' is the value of the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Pi is the proportion
of the ith species, loge represents the natural logarithm of Pi, and s represents the
number of species in the community. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index is classified
into three levels: low (H'<2); moderate (2<H'<4); and high (H'>4) (Odum & Barret
2004).
The species evenness index was calculated using Pielou’s evenness index, written as:
J' = H' / H' max
In the above equation, H' is the Shannon-Wiener diversity index and H' max is the natural
logarithm of species richness. Species evenness ranges from zero to one, with zero
signifying no evenness, and one a complete evenness.
Frequency of incidence (FoI) was estimated using the below equation:
FoI = Ni.St / N.St × 100%
For this equation, Ni.St is the total number of locations where the species i was found
and N.St is the total number of sampling locations (Muchlisin & Azizah 2009; Rahmawati
et al 2015).

Results. A total of five subclasses of marine gastropods (Caenogastropoda,


Heterobranchia, Neritimorpha, Patellogastropoda and Vetigastropoda), belonging to nine
families and 28 species, were found from upper to lower intertidal zones in Tanjung Jara
and Teluk Bidara (Figure 3 & Table 1). In total, 12 species can be found in Teluk Bidara
and 18 species can be found in Tanjung Jara (Table 1). However, two species,
Echinolittorina vidua (Littorinidae) and Nerita chamaeleon (Neritidae), can be found at
both study sites (Frequency of Incidence, FoI = 100%). These species have shell lengths
of 5.61±0.63 mm (n=12) and 19.43±0.76 mm (n=4), respectively (Table 1 & Table 2).
Out of the 6,844 individuals/m2 collected from both study sites, Planaxis sulcatus
(Planaxidae) comprised of 2,086 individuals/m2 (average shell length, 13.83±0.68 mm)
in Tanjung Jara (Table 1). 2,864 individuals/m2 of Clithon oualaniense (average shell
length, 4.22±0.63 mm) can be found at Teluk Bidara (Table 2). Among the fewest
individuals, with only one individual found, was Littoraria undulata (Littorinidae) and
Clithon pulchellum (Neritidae) at Teluk Bidara. These have shell lengths of 10.33 mm and
8.23 mm, respectively (Table 1 & Table 2).
In Tanjung Jara, the upper zone was recorded to have the highest diversity and
evenness indices (Shannon-Wiener diversity index: H’ = 0.702±0.213; Pielou’s evenness
index: J’ = 0.303±0.075) compared to the lower and middle zones (Table 3). Planaxidae
(Planaxis sulcatus) and Muricidae (Indothais rufotincta, Reishia bitubercularis,
Semiricinula fusca, Tenguella musiva and Thais sp.) were the most predominant species
found at the upper, middle, and lower zones with high abundance (Table 1). In contrast,
the lower zone in Teluk Bidara recorded the highest diversity and evenness indices
(Shannon-Wiener diversity index: H’ = 0.414±0.082; Pielou’s index: J’ = 0.269±0.028)
compared to the upper and middle zones (Table 3). Littorinidae (Echinolittorina
malaccana, Echinolittorina vidua and Littoraria strigata) and Neritidae (Clithon faba,
Clithon oualaniense and Nerita chamaeleon) were predominant here (Table 1).

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1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8

9 11
10 12

13 14
15 16

17
19
18

20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

Figure 3. Apertural and abapertural of marine gastropods of Tanjung Jara and Teluk
Bidara. (1) Batillaria sp., 17 mm; (2) Batillaria sordida, 9 mm; (3) Batillaria zonalis, 12
mm; (4) Echinolittorina malaccana, 5 mm; (5) Echinolittorina vidua, 6 mm; (6) Littoraria
strigata, 6 mm; (7) Littoraria undulata, 10 mm; (8) Thais sp., 16 mm; (9) Indothais
rufotincta, 9 mm; (10) Reishia bitubercularis, 16 mm; (11) Semiricinula fusca, 15 mm;
(12) Tenguella musiva, 13 mm; (13) Planaxis sulcatus, 14 mm; (14) Pirenella cingulata,
14 mm; (15) Siphonaria atra, 5 mm; (16) Siphonaria guamensis, 3 mm; (17) Monodonta
labio, 23 mm; (18) Siphonaria hispida, 3 mm; (19) Siphonaria sp., 12 mm; (20) Nerita
albicilla, 20 mm; (21) Nerita chamaeleon, 19 mm; (22) Clithon oualaniense, 4 mm; (23)
Clithon faba, 5 mm; (24) Clithon pulchellum, 8 mm; (25) Cellana enneagona, 5 mm;
(26) Cellana radiata, 4 mm; (27) Patelloida saccharina, 4 mm, and (28) Patelloida sp., 4
mm. Measurements indicates shell length (mm).

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Table 1
Abundance of marine gastropods according to subclass, family and species between study sites

Study site / Ind./m2


Subclass Family Species ∑ Ind. FoI (%)
TB TJ
Batillaria sp. - 7 7 50
Batillariidae Batillaria sordida (Gmelin, 1791) 41 - 41 50
Batillaria zonalis (Bruguière, 1792) 13 - 1 50
Echinolittorina malaccana (Philippi, 1847) 213 - 213 50
Echinolittorina vidua (Gould, 1859) 6 6 12 100
Littorinidae
Littoraria strigata (Philippi, 1846) 600 - 600 50
Littoraria undulata (Gray, 1839) 1 - 1 50
Caenogastropoda
Indothais rufotincta (K. S. Tan & Sigurdsson, 1996) - 3 3 50
Reishia bitubercularis (Lamarck, 1822) - 187 187 50
Muricidae Semiricinula fusca (Küster, 1862) - 87 87 50
Tenguella musiva (Kiener, 1835) - 136 136 50
Thais sp. - 57 57 50
Planaxidae Planaxis sulcatus (Born, 1778) - 2086 2086 50
Potamididae Pirenella cingulata (Gmelin, 1791) 282 - 282 50
Siphonaria atra Quoy & Gaimard, 1833 - 6 6 50
Siphonaria guamensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1833 - 47 47 50
Heterobranchia Siphonariidae
Siphonaria hispida Hubendick, 1946 - 3 3 50
Siphonaria sp. 48 - 48 50
Clithon faba (G. B. Sowerby I, 1836) 21 - 21 50
Clithon oualaniense (Lesson, 1831) 2864 - 2864 50
Neritimorpha Neritidae Clithon pulchellum (Récluz, 1843) 1 - 1 50
Nerita albicilla Linnaeus, 1758 - 9 9 50
Nerita chamaeleon Linnaeus, 1758 4 83 87 100
Cellana enneagona (Reeve, 1854) - 10 10 50
Cellana radiata (Born, 1778) - 3 3 50
Patellogastropoda Nacellidae
Patelloida saccharina (Linnaeus, 1758) - 11 11 50
Patelloida sp. - 7 7 50
Vetigastropoda Trochidae Monodonta labio (Linnaeus, 1758) - 2 2 50
Total individuals 4094 2750 6844 -
Total species 12 18 - -
Total number of individuals (∑ Ind.) and Frequency of Incidence (FoI) are presented. TB: Teluk Bidara, and TJ: Tanjung Jara.

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Table 2
Mean shell length, mm (S.L.) and shell width, mm (S.W.) with standard deviations (s.d.) of sample sizes (n = 1-60) for each species
collected at both study sites: Teluk Bidara and Tanjung Jara

Subclass Family Species S.L. ± s.d. (n) S.W. ± s.d. (n)


Batillaria sp. 17.12±2.80 (7) 9.13±1.59 (7)
Batillariidae Batillaria sordida 9.13±3.52 (30) 4.13±1.04 (30)
Batillaria zonalis 11.92±1.51 (13) 4.22±0.51 (13)
Echinolittorina malaccana 4.93±0.13 (60) 3.04±0.21 (60)
Echinolittorina vidua 5.61±0.63 (12) 3.73±0.42 (12)
Littorinidae
Littoraria strigata 5.92±2.32 (60) 3.64±1.24 (60)
Littoraria undulata 10.33 (1) 5.04 (1)
Caenogastropoda
Indothais rufotincta 9.36±3.03 (3) 5.91±1.78 (3)
Reishia bitubercularis 16.09±8.11 (60) 13.08±0.95 (60)
Muricidae Semiricinula fusca 14.99±1.17 (60) 9.39±0.85 (60)
Tenguella musiva 12.63±1.22 (60) 7.86±0.95 (60)
Thais sp. 15.53±0.81 (50) 10.03±0.80 (50)
Planaxidae Planaxis sulcatus 13.83±0.68 (60) 8.16±0.59 (60)
Potamididae Pirenella cingulata 13.83±3.03 (60) 5.22±1.01 (60)
Siphonaria atra 5.11±0.26 (6) 18.06±0.35 (6)
Siphonaria guamensis 2.92±0.56 (45) 7.34±1.90 (45)
Heterobranchia Siphonariidae
Siphonaria hispida 2.65±0.13 (3) 7.06±1.65 (3)
Siphonaria sp. 12.03±2.64 (30) 8.73±2.24 (30)
Clithon faba 5.13±1.24 (21) 4.02±1.01 (21)
Clithon oualaniense 4.22±0.63 (60) 3.63±0.21 (60)
Neritimorpha Neritidae Clithon pulchellum 8.23 (1) 6.91 (1)
Nerita albicilla 19.82±1.99 (9) 16.43±1.45 (9)
Nerita chamaeleon 19.43±0.76 (4) 20.67±1.38 (4)
Cellana enneagona 5.34±1.83 (19) 20.45±3.65 (19)
Cellana radiata 4.34±0.65 (3) 17.24±0.03 (3)
Patellogastropoda Nacellidae
Patelloida saccharina 3.89±0.83 (11) 12.35±4.59 (11)
Patelloida sp. 3.78±0.20 (7) 13.18±1.53 (7)
Vetigastropoda Trochidae Monodonta labio 22.83 ± 0.35 (2) 22.12±1.48 (2)

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Table 3
The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') and species evenness index (J') of marine
gastropods between intertidal zonation and study sites

Indices
Shannon-Wiener (H') Species evenness (J’)
Zonation
Study sites
TB TJ TB TJ
Upper 0.245±0.218 0.702±0.213 0.149±0.093 0.303±0.075
Middle 0.226±0.236 0.327±0.288 0.116±0.098 0.165±0.130
Lower 0.414±0.082 0.271±0.266 0.269±0.028 0.174±0.125
TB: Teluk Bidara; TJ: Tanjung Jara.

Discussion. Littorinidae (Echinolittorina vidua) and Neritidae (Nerita chamaeleon) were


found at both study sites. According to Abbot (1991), Neritidae and Littorinidae are
classified as herbivore grazers and are the most common family to be found across wide
ecological zones. Feeding groups of herbivores are a decisive factor in species spatial
distributions within tropical rocky shore ecosystems (Cruz-Motta 2007). In Tanjung Jara,
Planaxis sulcatus (Planaxidae) was the most abundant compared to other species found.
This species is categorized as herbivore grazers. A study by Rao & Sundaram (1972)
along the Indian coasts found that prosobranch gastropods such as Planaxidae (Planaxis
sulcatus) and Nacellidae (Cellana radiata) feed on marine green algal species such as
Chaetomorpha and Enteromorpha compressa and organic detritus.
In comparison, Clithon oualaniense (Neritidae) was the most abundant in Teluk
Bidara. In Singapore, this species is listed as nationally vulnerable by Davison et al
(2008) in the second edition of the Singapore Red Data Book. Moreover, in the marine
food chain, Clithon oualaniense is found in the gut contents of at least six fish species:
Tetraodon nigroviridis (spotted green puffer), Chelanodon patoca (milk spotted puffer),
Ambassis interrupta (longspined perchlet), Vespicula trachinoides (goblinfish),
Monodactylus argentus (silver moony), and Lethirinus lentjan (pink ear emperor) (Kadir
et al 2017). The landscape of Teluk Bidara is mostly covered plus a small cave and could
provide a sheltered habitat for fish. Juvenile fish were found in tide pools and villagers
were seen to do recreational fishing around the site (personal observations).
Predatory gastropods, such as Muricidae, were found in all zones with a high
density in Tanjung Jara. This could be related to its shell morphology and sculptural
patterns that highlight their evolutionary importance (Merle & Houart 2004; Kumbhar &
Rivonker 2012). Muricids, better known as murex snails or rock snails, are shown to
inhabit a wide distribution of coastal and marine habitats (Radwin & D’Atillio 1976; Apte
1998; Tsuchiya 2000; Mills et al 2007). Moreover, Muricidae such as Indothais rufotincta,
Reishia bitubercularis, Semiricinula fusca, Tenguella musiva and Thais sp. have slender
shells and high spires that may help them to minimize the effects of strong waves during
high tide and water loss during low tide. Most muricids are seen to aggregate and clump
by rock crevices and gaps. This behavior is to ensure water conservation and moisture
during a dry period at low tide. This could prevent malfunction of the marine gastropods’
body systems such as respiration, excretion, and digestion (Zhang et al 2016). Such
characteristics aid these marine gastropods to be resilient and thrive in challenging
ecosystems.
Differences in landscape at both study sites may explain the composition of
marine gastropods, although the diversity and evenness indices (H’ and J’) in both study
sites were categorized as low, based on Odum a& Barret (2004). A study by Gonzalez et
al (2004) found that at exposed shores, a greater stability of malacology communities
can be seen as its dominant community. This could be the case in Tanjung Jara, which
recorded 18 species (dominant families: Muricidae and Planaxidae) compared to 12
species in Teluk Bidara (dominant families: Littorinidae, Potamididae and Neritidae).
Moreover, the low scores in the indices could be underestimating total diversity, because
this study was carried out by only two researchers at a time. Therefore, greater effort
during sampling, including the duration of study, could contribute towards a more

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comprehensive result. Nevertheless, the findings show that several selected species were
found to be high in abundance.

Conclusions. This study was the first attempt made in surveying marine gastropods at
intertidal rocky shores along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Although it is
preliminary, it could provide a baseline study on the mollusc class gastropoda. There is a
need for further surveying and monitoring of key benthic taxa, such as algae,
crustaceans, molluscs, and polychaetes in this underappreciated ecosystem to derive a
better understanding of its importance. This study contributes to a complete checklist on
macroinvertebrates of the South China Sea.

Acknowledgements. This study was funded and supported by School of Marine and
Environmental Sciences, UMT to NBB and NHS.

References

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Received: 08 May 2018. Accepted: 20 July 2018. Published online: 27 July 2018.
Authors:
Nursalwa Baharuddin, Malaysia Terengganu University, School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Malaysia,
Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, e-mail: nursalwa@gmail.com
Nurul Balqis Basri, Malaysia Terengganu University, School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Malaysia,
Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, e-mail: nurulbalqisbasri@gmail.com
Nurul Hasnah Syawal, Malaysia Terengganu University, School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Malaysia,
Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, e-mail: nurulhasnahsyawal@gmail.com
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source
are credited.
How to cite this article:
Baharuddin N., Basri N. B., Syawal N. H., 2018 Marine gastropods (Gastropoda; Mollusca) diversity and
distribution on intertidal rocky shores of Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. AACL Bioflux 11(4):1144-1154.

AACL Bioflux, 2018, Volume 11, Issue 4.


http://www.bioflux.com.ro/aacl
1154

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