Shell morphology of marine gastropod Cerithium caeruleum is influenced by variation in environmental condition across the northern Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman

Abstract

The variation in shell morphology of four populations of marine gastropod Cerithium caeruleum G.B. Sowerby II, 1855 was investigated in relations to environmental conditions across the northern Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Geometric morphometrics was used to quantify the shape of gastropod shells. The results showed that C. caeruleum shell shape and size vary significantly among locations. A Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) showed the existence of two clusters of populations based on shell shape so that the cluster of the Persian Gulf populations were distinct from those of Gulf of Oman. The shell width was significantly correlated with variation in water and air temperature. The results suggest that shell shape differences in C. caeruleum populations are due to a plastic response to environmental conditions.