Shellfish diversity in the rocky intertidal zone of sea beach of veraval Coast, Gujarat

Abstract

Shellfish are the most abundant intertidal residents, having a diverse range of occurrence in the intertidal zones biota. From 2017 to 2019, a three-year study on shellfish assemblage in Gujarat's, Veraval Beach assessed the variety and evenness of the nearshore species. Taxonomic classification revealed 5 classes, 11 orders, 29 species, and 15 families. The total yearly density of gastropod assemblages does not differ substantially. The analysis of the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′) and Pielou’s evenness index (J′) revealed notable species diversity within the Patellidae family. Patella radiate exhibited the highest diversity with an H′ value of 3.32, followed by Turbo intercostalis and Chitongrano radiatus. Conversely, Chicoreus ramosus showed the lowest diversity. Additionally, Patella radiate demonstrated the highest evenness (J′ = 1.22), while Chicoreus ramosus exhibited the lowest evenness (J′ = 0.85). Interestingly, the overall shellfish community composition remained unchanged despite fluctuations in seawater temperature (r = -0.4709), suggesting that the prevailing species are well-adapted and thrive under varied environmental conditions along the Veraval coast.