Abstract:
A total of 300 specimens of the freshwater gastropod Melanopsis praemorsa (Thiaridae: Prosobranchia) from Azraq Oasis, Jordan, were studied for age, growth and shell morphometrics. Nonlinear and linear allometric analysis, Von Bertalanfi`s and Richard`s growth models were used to analyze the results. The results show the life span to be five years and the mean observed lengths of the five age cohorts range from 9.6 to 20.6 mm. The theoretical maximum length of this snail may reach 25.7 and 21.4 mm, respectively while the shell and dry body weights averaged 380.8 and 239.8 mg, respectively. The relationships of the shell length to shell and dry body weights are curvilinear and the relationships of the shell length to shell width, aperture length and aperture width are linear. These results are mainly in agreement with the results reported for other snails with similar relationships between the measured snail parameters.
Ali Z. Elkarmi and Naim S. Ismail , 2006. Allometry of the Gastropod Melanopsis praemorsa (Thiaridae: Prosobranchia) From Azraq Oasis, Jordan. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 9: 1359-1363.
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