Morphometric studies on the limpet Cellana karachiensis (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf

Abstract

Limpets from the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf, collected during 1992, were studied for growth and age estimation and to examine the intraspecific variations in shell allometery. The longevity of Cellana karachiensis was 6 y. The growth increments were higher for smaller limpets than older ones. Specimens from the Gulf of Oman with 19-40 mm length have relatively higher total wet weight and shell weight and lower relative coefficient of condition (Kn) than those from the Arabian Gulf. The ratio of the posterior to anterior shell sloping walls was 1.288 and 1.298 for the populations from the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf, respectively. The regression constant (b) of various relationships of shell length to shell breadth, shell height, and shell sloping walls, were relatively similar for both populations, but with a varying regression constant (A).