Vertical Distribution of Japeuthria cingulata (Gastropoda : Buccinidae) in an Intertidal Area of a Lava Seashore

Abstract

The vertical distribution of Japeuthria cingulata (Reeve, 1847) was studied on Sakura-jima Island, Japan. Frequency distributions of shell size showed that newly hatched juveniles appeared in April, but their recruitment did not seem to be concentrated in any specific period over a year. In the intertidal area, the vertical distribution range of J. cingulata was larger than that of Cronia margariticola (Broderip, 1833) and Morula musiva (Kiener, 1836). Juvenile J. cingulata occurred in the lower zone, while adults occurred from the lower zone to the middle zone (broadly defined). No seasonal change of distribution in the intertidal area was observed.