Aspects on clustering and movements of the intertidal gastropod, <i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-IN; mso-fareast-language:EN-IN;mso-bidi-language:HI" lang="EN-IN">Planaxis sulcatus </span></i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-IN; mso-fareast-language:EN-IN;mso-bidi-language:HI" lang="EN-IN">(Gastropoda/Planaxidae) in the Suez Canal</span>

Abstract

<span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-IN">Clustering behavior of the gastropod <i>Planaxis sulcatus </i>was investigated seasonally and in different shore levels on the Suez Canal rocky shores. The numbers of clusters m² and individual abundance /<i> </i>cluster in hot summer were significantly greater than in winter particularly in high and midshores. Clusters were more frequent in crevices than over boulders. There is a decline in snail size in summer due to the appearance of new recruits. Results of movement experiments revealed that the spreading of snails is faster in winter than in summer which showed high mortalities.</span>