Abstract
This study examined the environmental factors influencing the distribution and abundance of hydrobiid snails in two estuaries on the northeastern coast of Argentina in a coastal lagoon (Mar Chiquita, 37°40′S, 57°20′W) and a partially mixed estuary (Quequén Grande, 38°30′S, 58°45′W). Five intertidal study sites in each estuary represented a gradient in environmental conditions. Variations in the main environmental factors and in the abundance of hydrobiids were assessed both spatially and seasonally. The three species wereHeleobia australis, Heleobia conexa, andHeleobia parchappii, and they were primarily distributed across a salinity gradient. This pattern was clearly recognizable in the partially mixed estuary, where the abundance ofH. australis decreased as salinity decreased, and the abundance ofH. conexa gradually increased towards the inner reaches of the estuary.H. parchappii was restricted to areas far away from the influence of the tide. Slight differences in the distribution patterns of these species between Quequén Grande and Mar Chiquita were refated to the different dynamics of environmental factors in each estuary.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Literature Cited
Aguirre, M. L. andE. A. Farinati. 2000. Aspectos sistemáticos, de distribución y paleoambientales deLittoridina australis (D'Orbigny, 1835) (Mesogastropoda) en el Cuaternario marino de Argentina (Sudamérica).Geobios 33:569–597.
Aguirre, M. L. andM. I. Urrutia. 2002. Morphological variability ofLittoridina australis (d'Orbigny, 1835) (Hydrobiidae) in the Bonaerensian marine Holocene (Argentina).Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 183:1–23.
Aguirre, M. L. andR. C. Whatley. 1995. Late Quaternary marginal marine deposits and palaeoenvironments from northeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina: A review.Quaternary Science Reviews 14:223–254.
Barnes, R. S. K. 1999. What determines the distribution of coastal hydrobiid mudsnails within northwestern Europe?P.S.Z.N. Marine Ecology 20:97–110.
Barnes, R. S. K. andC. J. de Villiers. 2000. Animal abundance and food availability in coastal lagoons and intertidal marine sediments.Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 80:193–202.
Bonadonna, F. C., G. Leone, andG. Zanchetta. 1995. Composición isotópica de los fósiles de gasterópodos continentales de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Indicaciones paleoclimáticas, p. 77–104.In M. T. Alberdi, G. Leone, and E. P. Tonni (eds.), Evolución Biológica y Climática de la Región Pampeana Durante los Últimos Cinco Millones de Años. Un Ensayo de Correlación con el Mediterráneo Occidental. Monografia del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
Castellanos, Z. A. de andN. Landonl. 1995. Mollusca Pellecypoda y Gastropoda, p. 759–802.In E. C. Lopretto and G. Tell (eds.) Ecosistemas de Aguas Continentales. Metodologías para su Estudio. Ediciones Sur, La Plata, Argentina.
Cazzaniga, N. J. 1982. Notas sobre hidróbidos argentinos II (Gastropoda Rissoidea).Una littoridina del “grupo parchappii” en Península Valdés (Chubut).Revista del Museo de La Plata, Sección Zoología 129:11–16.
Cherril, A. J. andR. James. 1985. The distribution and habitat preferences of four species of Hydrobiidae in East Anglia.Journal of Conchology 32:123–133.
Cherril, A. J. andR. James. 1987. Evidence for competition between mudsnails (Hydrobiidae): A field experiment.Hydrobiologia 150:25–31.
Chomenko, L. andA. Schäfer. 1984. Interpretação biogeográfica da distribução do gêneroLittoridina (Hydrobiidae) nas lagoas costeiras do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.Amazoniana 9: 127–146.
Darrigran, G. 1995. Distribución de tres especies del géneroHeleobia Stimpson, 1865 (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) en el litoral argentino del Río de La Plata y arroyos afluentes.Iheringia Série Zoologia 78:3–8.
Davis, G. M., M. Mazurkiewicz, andM. Mandracchia. 1982.Spurwinkia: Morphology, systematics, and ecology of a new genus of North American marshland Hydrobiidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda).Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 134:143–177.
de Francesco, C. G. andF. I. Isla. 2001. Gasterópodos bioindicadores de salinidad en Mar Chiquita, p. 115–119.In O. Iribarne (ed.), Reserva de Biósfera Mar Chiquita: Características Físicas, Biológicas y Ecológicas. Editorial Martin Mar del Plata, Argentina.
De Francesco, C. G. andM. A. Zärate. 1999. Análisis tafonómico deLittoridina Souleyet, 1852 (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) en perfiles holocenos del río Quequén Grande (provincia de Buenos Aires): Significado paleobiológico y paleoambiental.Ameghiniana 36:297–310.
Drake, P. andA. M. Arias. 1995. Distribution and production of threeHydrobia species (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) in a shallow coastal lagoon in the Bay of Cádiz, Spain.Journal of Molluscan Studies 61:185–196.
Farinati, E. A. andS. A. Aliotta. 1997. Análisis de tafofacies transgresivas-regresivas holocenas, estuario de Bahía Blanca, Argentina.Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 52:56–64.
Fasano, J., M. Hernández, F. I. Isla, and E. Schnack. 1982. Aspectos evolutivos y ambientales de la laguna Mar Chiquita (provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina). Actas Simp. Intnal. Lagunas Costeras, SCOR/IABO/UNESCO, Bordeaux, Francia.Oceanologica Acta SP:285–292.
Fenchel, T. 1975a. Factors determining the distribution patterns of mud snails (Hydrobiidae).Oecologia 20:1–17.
Fenchel, T. 1975b. Character displacement and coexistence in mud snails (Hydrobiidae).Oecologia 20:19–32.
Fenchel, T. andL. H. Kofoed. 1976. Evidence for exploitative interspecific competition in mud snails (Hydrobiidae).Oikos 27:367–376.
Fish, J. D. andS. Fish. 1974. The breeding cycle and growth ofHydrobia ulvae in the Dovey estuary.Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 54:685–697.
Gaillard, M. C. 1973. Contribución al conocimiento del géneroLittoridina Souleyet, 1852 en Argentina. Thesis, University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
Gaillard, M. C. 1974. Una nuevalittoridina de albúfera (Moll.: Hydrobiidae).Neotropica 20:104–106.
Gaillard, M. C. andZ. A. de Castellanos. 1976. Moluscos Gasterópodos, hydrobiidae. p. 1–39.In R. A. Ringuelet (ed.), Fauna de Agua Dulce de la República Argentina, Volumen 15, Fascículo 2. Fecic, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Goncalves, Jr.,J. F., J J. I. Fonseca, andM. F. P. Callisto. 1998. Population dynamic ofHeleobia australis (Gastropoda) in a coastal lagoon (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).Verhandlungen Internationale vereiningen Limnologie 26:2056–2057.
Gorbushin, A. M. 1996. The enigma of mud snail shell growth: Assymmetrical competition or character displacement?Oikos 77:85–92.
Grudemo, J. andT. Bohlin. 2000. Effects of sediment type and intra-and interspecific competition on growth rate of the marine snailsHydrobia ulvae andHydrobia ventrosa.Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 253:115–127.
Grudemo, J. andK. Johanneson. 1999. Size of mudsnails,Hydrobia ulvae (Pennant) andH. ventrosa (Montagu) in allopatry and sympatry: Conclusions from field distributions and laboratory growth experiments.Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 239:167–181.
Hershler, R. andF. G. Thompson. 1992. A review of the aquatic gastropod subfamily Cochliopinae (Prosobranchia: Hydrobiidae).Malacological Review, Supplement 5:1–140.
Hylleberg, J. 1986. Distribution of hydrobiid snails in relation to salinity, with emphasis on shell size and co-existence of the species.Ophelia 4:85–100.
Isla, F. I. 1997. Seasonal behaviour of Mar Chiquita tidal inlet in relation to adjacent beaches, Argentina.Journal of Coastal Research 13:1221–1231.
Isla, F. I., A. Folabella, and A. Zamora. 1996. Seasonal bacteria content in sediments of Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina.Proceedings of the Bahia Blanca International Coastal Symposium 233–240.
Isla, F. I. andE. S. Gaido. 2001. Evolución geológica de la laguna Mar Chiquita, p. 19–30.In O. Iribarne (ed.), Reserva de Biôsfera Mar Chiquita: Características Físicas, Biológicas y Ecológicas. Editorial Martin, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
Johnson, D. E. 1998. Métodos Multivariados Aplicados al Análisis de Datos. International Thomson Editores, Colonia Polanco, México.
Kabat, A. R. andR. Hershler. 1993. The prosobranch family Hydrobiidae (Gastropoda: Rissooidea): Review of classification and supraspecific taxa.Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 547:1–94.
Lassen, H. H. 1979. Reproductive effort in Danish mudsnails (Hydrobiidae).Oecologia 40:199–203.
Lassen, H. H. andM. E. Clark. 1979. Comparative fecundity in three Danish mudsnails (Hydrobiidae).Ophelia 18:171–178.
López Armengol, M. F. andG. Darrigran. 1998. Distribución del género neotropicalPotamolithus Pilsbry y Rush, 1896 (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) en el estuario del Río de La Plata.Iberus 16:67–74.
Mouritsen, K. N. andK. T. Jensen. 1994. The enigma of gigantism: Effect of larval trematodes on growth, fecundity, egestion and locomotion inHydrobia ulvae (Pennant) (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia).Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 181:53–66.
Muus, B. J. 1967. The fauna of Danish estuaries and lagoons. Distribution and ecology of dominating species in the shallow reaches of the mesohaline zone.Meddelelser Danmarks Fisheri-Og Havundersogelser 5:1–316.
Obenat, S. M. andS. E. Pezzani. 1994. Life cycle and population structure of the polychaeteFicopomatus enigmaticus (Serpulidae) in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina.Estuaries 17:263–270.
Piccollo, M. C. andG. M. E. Perillo. 1997. Geomorfología e hidrografia de los estuarios, p. 133–161.In E. E. Boschi (ed.), El Mar y sus Recursos Pesqueros I. Antecedentes Históricos de las Exploracinnes en el Mar y las Características Ambientales. Publicación del INIDEP, Mar del Plata Argentina.
Pons Da Silva, M. C. andG. M. Davis. 1983. d'Orbigny's type specimens ofPaludestrina (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia) from southern South America.Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 135:128–146.
Reta, R., P. Martos, G. M. E. Perillo, M. C. Piccolo, andA. Ferrante. 2001. Características hidrográficas del estuario de la laguna Mar Chiquita, p. 31–52.In O. Iribarne (ed.) Reserva de Biósfera Mar Chiquita: Características Físicas, Biológicas y Ecológicas. Editorial Martin, Mar del Plata.
Ter Braak, C. J. F. 1986. Canonical correspondence analysis: A new eigenvector technique for multivariate direct gradient analysis.Ecology 67:1167–1179.
Zar, J. H. 1984. Biostatistical Analysis, 2nd edition. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
De Francesco, C.G., Isla, F.I. Distribution and abundance of hydrobiid snails in a mixed estuary and a coastal lagoon, Argentina. Estuaries 26, 790–797 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02711989
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02711989