Inventory and distribution of mollusks in the Algerian East coast (El kala region)

Abstract

This work aims to study the biodiversity of the mollusks that colonize the mediolittoral stage at the level of the Algerian East coasts (south-west of the Mediterranean) during summer 2021. The qualitative study reveals the existence of nine species: Patella nigra, Patella vulgata, Patella rustica, Patella ulyssiponensis, Patella caerulea, Phorcus lineatus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Stramonita haemastoma, Acanthopleura granulata. The station 2 (la montagne) has the highest value with a maximum density of 54 ± 9.53 ind/m² while the lowest density has been found in the station 4 (Boufkirine) 9.33 ± 0.57 ind/m². The most important values of index of the diversity and evenness index (E) were recorded in station 2 (H'=2.16; E=0.77) respectively. The leading mollusk in the studied area is the patelidae Patella rustica (74.83%) followed by the gastropod Stramonita haemastoma (26.57%) and the bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis (23.78%).