DENSITY OF CONCHOLEPAS CONCHOLEPAS (GASTROPODA, MURICIDAE) IN THE MARINE RESERVE OF MEHUIN: EVIDENCES OF RECRUITMENT FAILURE

Abstract

A significant change in the population density of Concholepas concholepas (Bruguiére, 1789) (Gastropoda, Muricidae) occurred in 1987 at the intertidal rocky shore of the Mehuín Marine Reserve (34° 24'S, 73u 13'W) is described based upon data monitored since 1984. This area is a principal local recruitment environment for the specie. The recruits (smaller than 30 mm in caparace diamater) proportion showed that the low population density was associated with a small recruitment in 1987. The low density could not be related to a food environmental decrease, but with a overexploitation of the resource at the Coastal area of Valdivia.