ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF SOME MOLLUSCS IN LAKE TIMSAH, SUEZ CANAL

ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF SOME
MOLLUSCS IN LAKE TIMSAH, SUEZ CANAL
SAMYA HUSSEIN MOHAMMAD
Faculty of Education, Suez Canal University, EGYPT
[email protected]
Keywords: Lake Timsah, molluscs, gastropods, abundance and densities.
ABSTRACT
The present paper summarize observations on the abundance and densities of molluscs
species (three bivalves: Venerupis aurea, Ruditapes decussata and Cerastoderma glaucum;
four gastropods: Cyclope neritea, Cerithium scabridium, Trochus erythraeus and Bulla
striata) in sand and clay flats in Lake Timsah. The substrates of selected sites ranged
between sand and clay flats. The gastropod Cyclope neritea was the most common and
abundant species, occurring at all sites and depths, followed by Cerithium scabridium. The
results also suggested that exposure; water depth, intense fishing and substrate nature
interacted and influenced the molluscan abundance and density.