Ecological studies on families Veneridae and Mactridae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) inhabiting the western coasts of the Suez Gulf, Egypt

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The faunal composition, abundance, distribution, population density and diversity of bivalve species of families Mactridae and Veneridae were investigated from 11 sites along the western coasts of the Gulf of Suez during the period from summer 2017 to summer 2019. A total of 13 bivalve species belonging to 5 subfamilies within 9 genera of the two families were recorded. Family Veneridae was the dominant and represented by 11species (84.62%) compared with only 2 species of family Mactridae represented 15.38% of all recorded species. Mactra olorina (family Mactridae), Gafrarium pectinatum, Callista florida and Circe rugifera (family Veneridae) were the most frequent species at sites II (Kabanon), III (Adabia) and IV (Ain Sokhna) during this study. Site III accommodated all recorded bivalves (13 species), followed by 8 species at site II, decreased to 6, 4, 4 and 3 species at sites IV, V (Monte Galala), XI (Al Azazia – north Ras Gharib) and I (Suez Bay), respectively. A total of 1208 individuals were collected from the study sites, 842 individuals (69.70%) are venerids and 366 individuals (30.30%) are mactrids. The majority of individuals (1179) were collected from sites III, II and IV, which accommodated 599, 546 and 34 individuals, respectively. The values of Simpson's diversity index, Shannon-Weaver index, evenness, and Margalef´s Species richness were calculated at each site. The annual values of these indices averaged 0.42, 1.70, 0.21 and 1.11(site II), 0.30, 2.13, 0.16 and 1.88 (site III) and 0.20, 2.35, 0.39 and 1.42 (site IV), for these indices, respectively. The highest values for Simpson's index of similarity recorded 76.19 % and 71.43 % between site II and both of sites III, and IV, respectively.

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