The paper presents preliminary results of monitoring the population of the bivalve Chamelea gallina, which is the main source of biogenic carbonates for the Anapa bay bar beaches (the Black Sea). It is shown that by 2017, the biomass of the clams decreased more than twice compared to 2010, but began to increase in 2018. The average sizes of C. gallina are clearly divided in terms “year” - “section” - “age”. At the same time, interannual variations of the average size are very strong in all age groups. The average shell length of C. gallina significantly increased in 2018 compared to 2016, and especially - to 2017. This may be caused by the population decline of the predator Rapana venosa feeding on clams. Geographic differences in the shell length between sections are not directly related to the distribution of biogenic elements (nitrogen and phosphorus). The differences in longevity and shell size between C. gallina from the Anapa region and distant populations from the other parts of the distribution area are likely related to its significant negative correlation with the growth rate, which in turn negatively correlates with latitude.
This study aims to compare the morphometric characteristics of Nerita albicilla and Patella nigra and to determine the allometric relationships between the shell weight, shell length, fresh weight, dry weight, tissue weight and shell weight. A total of 200 of Nerita albicilla and Patella nigra were collected along the coasts of Zamboanga City Bay, Western Mindanao, Philippines. Nerita albicilla has the highest mean ± SD in width (1.59 ± 0.19 mm), fresh weight (2.59 ± 0.15 g), tissue weight (1.26 ± 0.83 g), dry weight (2.38 ± 0.55 g) and shell weight (2.19 ± 0.11 g). The fresh weight of Nerita albicilla was strongly related with the shell length. The shell width of Patella nigra was slightly correlated with shell weight. There was slight correlation between the shell width and shell weight and these can be attributed to the developmental, environmental and abiotic factors that highly contribute to the morphology of the gastropods. The calcium carbonate content suspended in the environment has major effect in the shell composition and is directly related with the shell weight. Nutrition is also a major contributory factor in the weight of the shells.