The invasive mollusk Rapana venosa (Mollusca: Neogastropoda: Muricidae) in the mid-southern Black Sea: Distribution, growth, and stock structure

Abstract

The rapa whelk, Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846), known also as the veined rapa whelk or the Asian rapa whelk, settled in the Black Sea in 1940 and within the past 30 years has become an important economic contribution to local fishers along the coastline. This study examines the annual change in biomass, population structure, and interaction of the species with the ecosystem of rapa whelk in the mid-southern Black Sea. The samples were collected monthly in 2011 and 2012 by hydraulic dredge at different sites. Stock biomass was estimated at five different subregions and along four depth contours. In 2012 the biomass of rapa whelk increased significantly in in all subregions compared with the previous year sampling. Food availability is the main factor for species distribution, and in parallel, striped Venus clams, Chamelea gallina (Linnaeus, 1758), the main food source for rapa whelks, was significantly concentrated in the study area. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters (VBGP) were expressed as Lt = 121.78(1 − e−0.246(t + 0.33)). As a fisheries management point, our results highlight the overpopulation of rapa whelk in the region.