Predation on a tropical spinose gastropod: the role of shell morphology

Ray, Melody; Stoner, Allan W.

doi:10.1016/0022-0981(95)00181-p

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…However, the antipredatory value of knobs may not always manifest itself. Ray and Stoner (1995) noted that mortality rate in experiments of tethered long-spined variants of the queen Vermeij (1983Vermeij ( , 1987Vermeij ( , 1993.…”

Section: Trends In Antipredatory Morphology In Space and Timementioning

confidence: 98%

The Fossil Record of Shell-Breaking Predation on Marine Bivalves and Gastropods

Alexander

Dietl

2003

Predator—Prey Interactions in the Fossil Record

150

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Section: Trends In Antipredatory Morphology In Space and Timementioning

confidence: 98%

The Fossil Record of Shell-Breaking Predation on Marine Bivalves and Gastropods

Alexander

Dietl

2003

Predator—Prey Interactions in the Fossil Record

150

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“…An unusual but well-known aspect of conch biology is its two-phase pattern of shell growth. Juvenile conch maximize shell length (SL) growth in order to avoid a host of predators (Ray & Stoner, 1995b;Tewfik, 1997). Prior to the onset of maturation, conch begin to produce a flared shell lip, and lip thickness becomes a reliable indicator of age for subadult (lipped but not mature) and adult queen conch, especially since it is relatively unaffected by differences in SL at maturation (Appeldoorn, 1988;Avila-Poveda & Baqueiro-Cárdenas, 2006;Buckland, 1989;CFMC/CFRAMP, 1999;Egan, 1985;Stoner & Sandt, 1992).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Declining size of adults and juvenile harvest threatens sustainability of a tropical gastropod, Lobatus gigas, fishery

Tewfik

Babcock

Appeldoorn

et al. 2019

Aquatic Conservation

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Queen conch (Lobatus gigas) is a large herbivorous gastropod, found across the Caribbean, which forms the basis of important dive fisheries. Conch have a two‐phase shell growth pattern, first in shell length (SL), which ceases well before maturity, followed by growth in shell lip thickness (LT) into maturity. This growth pattern must be considered in determining the ideal size and associated maturity for sustainable harvest. Shell morphology, sex organ development and soft tissue masses indicated that mature adult conchs at Glover's Atoll, Belize, were those with thick shell lips (≥10 mm), eroded shells and heavier soft tissue masses. Therefore, SL‐based regulations cannot serve as a proxy for maturity and harvest. The use of inappropriate minimum size limits (SL = 178 mm, 85 g market clean meat mass) has allowed significant juvenile harvest and the fishery appears to have truncated the SL size distribution of conchs with a flared shell lip (i.e. adults) over the last 15 years. The reduced SL observed in lipped conchs may lead to a significant impact on the reproductive success of the population as well as diminished economic yield from the fishery, as smaller adult conchs of the same age have lower gonad and meat weight. We believe this to be the first documentation of a decline in the SL of adult queen conchs, and that the SL‐based size limits have contributed to this decline. Refinement of the individual size‐based regulations for conch in Belize to LT will probably facilitate local recovery as well as regional harmonization of regulations. Future research in Belize should include movement dynamics of conch in relation to replenishment zone size and spillover as well as the importance of deep‐water conch to shallow‐water recruitment, which is thought to be limited.

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“…They are unlikely to be explained by differences in the depositional environment because the 2 areas are adjacent in the Exuma Cay island chain and have similar physical oceanographic characteristics, sediment grain-size distribution, and sediment organic content (Stoner & Waite 1990. Differential mortality is also unlikely: experiments conducted in 1992 showed that juvenile conch held on tethers in the 2 areas were killed at approximately equal rates (Ray & Stoner 1995). Physical transport and spatial variation in accumulation of shells was not significant for molluscan species observed in California (USA) 1a.goons (Warme 1969, 1971, Peterson 1976, and shell transport was probably not a major problem on the scale of this investigation.…”

Section: I~%/' Imentioning

confidence: 69%

Shell remains provide clues to historical distribution and abundance patterns in a large seagrass-associated gastropod (Strombus gigas)

Stoner¹,

M²

1996

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Posltive correlation between the number of shells or skeletal elements of a species preserved in the sedimentary record and the abundance and distnbution of the once-living population can be an important assumption in paleoecological analysis. The assumption was tested for the large gastropod Strombus gigas (queen conch) in and around 2 nursery grounds in the central Bahamas. Concentrations of shell fragments on the surface of the sediment measured in 1990 were closely correlated (r = 0.998 and 0.928) with mean live conch abundance monitored regularly at 13 stations during the 2 previous years Projections from field experiments on shell decomposition rates indicated that the shell remains of S. gigas last for at least a decade on the sediment surface. The direct relationship between shell remains and living populations integrated over time permits interpretation of historic changes in populations. Furthermore, time-averaging qualities of the death assemblages provide an integration of distribution and abundance patterns on an ecological time scale useful in learning the relationships between the environment, the species and ~t s management.

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Predation on a tropical spinose gastropod: the role of shell morphology

Cited by 17 publications

References 16 publications

The Fossil Record of Shell-Breaking Predation on Marine Bivalves and Gastropods

The Fossil Record of Shell-Breaking Predation on Marine Bivalves and Gastropods

Declining size of adults and juvenile harvest threatens sustainability of a tropical gastropod, Lobatus gigas, fishery

Shell remains provide clues to historical distribution and abundance patterns in a large seagrass-associated gastropod (Strombus gigas)

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