Distribution of shell-bearing gastropods with long and short pelagic stages in the areas of the Barents Sea

Abstract

The duration of the pelagic stage in different species of gastropod molluscs affects their ability to disperse by marine currents. We counted the number of species with long (planktotrophic larva) and short or absent (lecitotrophic larva) pelagic stages in development in shell gastropods from 8 areas of the open part of the Barents Sea. A total of 66 species were identified in the study area, of which 25 were true micromolluscs, and 41 species were represented mainly by juvenile individuals of larger molluscsby larger macrofaunal species. The predominant type of development is lecithotrophic (57 species) and partially pelagic planktotrophic (9 species). According to our data, the shares proportions of species with lecithotrophic and planktotrophic types of development are approximately the same in all investigated areas of the Barents Sea. But in the southern part of the Barents Sea the share of species with a long pelagic stage are sligthlyis slightly higher than in more numerous than in its northern part.