In this study of marine bivalves and gastropods of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP), Palawan, Philippines, we photo-document 96 species, including 17 species of bivalves (in seven families), and 79 species of gastropods (in 29 families). Of these, 64 species (eight bivalves and 56 gastropods species) were new recorded from the park. The list also includes the seven species of giant clams which are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and three nationally protected gastropod species (Cassis cornuta, Charonia tritonis and Tectus niloticus). Thirty-six species that were previously reported at the park were not found in this study, which suggests that there are at least 132 species of gastropods and bivalves at TRNP. Our observations were limited at intertidal and shallow subtidal reefs in the park, suggesting that the number of species in the list may rise with an extensive survey.
Hippopus porcellanus is a rare and heavily exploited giant clam species with limited distribution range in the Indo-West Pacific Region. Overharvesting has resulted in the localized extinction of H. porcellanus in the Philippines, but its populations appeared to have recovered in Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) after more than 20 years of protection. As one of the least studied giant clam species, the shell dimension-live weight relationships were determined. In addition, the growth parameters of H. porcellanus in TRNP were monitored with the mark-recapture method. All three shell dimensions of H. porcellanus were good estimators of live weight. The von Bertallanfy growth parameters K (0.29) and L∞ (29.24 cm) were determined on the basis of 80 marked individuals recaptured twice within 2.5 years. Nearly 90% of marked clams survived at the end of the study. Studies on aspects of biology of other giant clams species at the park is suggested.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.