Abstract
SUMMARY Dredge and grab samples of the benthic fauna off Natal and Mocambique were obtained for the University of Cape Town ecological survey during the International Indian Ocean Expedition. 52 Species of Pelecypoda are reported as a result of this and some previous sampling off the Natal coast. Three new species of Pelecypoda are described in Boshoff (1968). From a brief analysis of the distribution records of only the reported species around southern Africa, it appears that the Natal benthic Pelecypod fauna is fairly distinct from that of the South African south coast. The Natal fauna contains a higher proportion of endemic species and a lower proportion of tropical species than the Mocambique fauna. None of the Mocambique Pelecypoda and only 7% of the Natal Pelecypoda extend to the West Coast of South Africa.
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