Patterns of morphological variation of the deep-sea gastropod Troschelia berniciensis (King, 1846) (Buccinidae) from the northeastern Atlantic Ocean

Olabarria, C. and Thurston, M.H. (2004) Patterns of morphological variation of the deep-sea gastropod Troschelia berniciensis (King, 1846) (Buccinidae) from the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 70 (1), 59-66.

Abstract

Very little is known about population differentiation in bathyal species. The neogastropod Troschelia berniciensis occurs along the northeastern Atlantic continental shelf and upper slope. The species was relatively common at depths of 320–1265 m to the west and southwest of Ireland. Measurements of 435 specimens confirmed literature reports of variability in shell shape in this species. Shells varied significantly in relative spire height and in height-to-breadth ratios. Changes in shell shape were correlated strongly with depth, broad low-spired shells occurring at the shallow end of the bathymetric range, and slender high-spired shells in deeper water. A significant but weak trend for decrease in relative spire height with increasing latitude was identified. Possible causal factors for these patterns are discussed. These results support the theory that the upper slope is a site of potential importance for population differentiation for the deep-sea gastropod fauna.

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