Biología y distribución de la familia Aplysiidae (Babosas de mar), en la zona intermareal del Ecuador, desde el 2003 al 2005

Abstract

El propósito de este trabajo es contribuir a conocer que especies de vaquitas o babosas de mar tenemos en la costa del Ecuador, cual es su abundancia, distribución, densidad, hábitat e importancia que tienen estas especies, dar a conocer sus características taxonómicas, que permitan ser identificadas por otros investigadores para que puedan desarrollar otros trabajos de investigación.

Of the study of 25 localities, in all the coast of continental Ecuador, belonging, to the Provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Guayas and El Oro, obtained during three years, 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 12 sites, were observed two species of mollusks that belong to two genus of family APLYSIIDAE in 12 sites Dolabrifera dolabrifera was observed, but only in one site of them "Las conchas", located between La Libertad and Salinas, one specimen of Aplysia californica was observed. During year 2003, the family APLYSIIDAE, was observed in three sites of the Ecuadorian coast, located in the Bay of Santa Elena. During the 2004, in four sites (3 in Manabí Province and one in the Guayas Province). During in the 2005 in 12 places, was observed, six specimens in the Manabí Province and six the Guayas Province. These genuses were not observed in the Esmeraldas Province and El Oro Province. The maximum weight of the organism measure in Dolabrifera dolabrifera with 158 grams and the measured were: length 41 mm, height 25 mm; the atrophied shell with length 20 mm and height 12 mm. The place where the greater relative abundance of Dolabrifera dolabrifera was in Los Frailes of the National Park Machalilla (South margin or left side of the bay) with 160 oreganisms/m² and the smaller abundance registered was in Port Cayo, with 1 organism/m², observed in the 2005. The taxonomic characteristics of each species, is given, the maximum and minimum weight of the organism and the measures of the shells, as well as the distribution and relative abundance along the Ecuador coast.