Nomads of northern coasts: distribution of <i>Aporrhais pespelicani </i>(Gastropoda: Stromboidea) in the Barents Sea

Abstract

Gastropod Aporrhais pespelicani was recently recorded for the first time in several localities along the Murman Coast (SW Barents Sea). In all areas, only single specimens were collected with the exception of Kislaya Inlet where the dense population was found. We repeated field study in the Kislaya Inlet decade later after the first findings of the species. No living specimens were found at the place of the previous habitat of the population of Aporrhais pespelicani, however, two adult snails were collected in a remoted locality from the same waterbody. We hypnotize that distribution of Aporrhais pespelicani in the its northern edge of range fit to “core-satellite” metapopulation model, where Murman local populations representing “satellites” of the Norwegian “core”. There is no evident proof on the relation of recent records of Aporrhais pespelicani with range extension due to the climate change, as it was suggested before.