Abstract
Observations were made on 2 beaches during the premonsoon period (January to March) when conditions were relatively stable. The beach below the berm at Cochin is 14 m wide with a slope of 1 in 8.5, and at Shertallai 40 m wide with a slope of 1 in 16. The well-sorted sand has a mean particle size of 275 μ at Cochin and 175 μ at Shertallai. The amount of chlorophyll attached to sand grains is very small. Chlorophyll in the water varies between 0.9 and 13.0 μg/l. Carbon in the sand amounts to 210 to 630 μg/g, and in the water to 355 to 3660 μg/l. Throughout observations, the water temperature remained about 31°C, but on the dry sand surface it reached 50°C. Fauna zonation on the 2 beaches is similar to that of other tropical beaches; crabs of the genus Ocypode and the isopod Eurydice sp. occur at high water mark, the polychaetes of the genera Glycera, Onuphis, Scoloplos and Lumbrinereis in the mid-intertidal region and below; the tidal migrants Bullia melanoides (Gastropoda), Donax incarnatus and D. spiculum (Bivalvia) and Emerita holthuisi (Crustacea) inhabit the wash zone of the surf. The average biomass is 0.73 g carbon/m2 at Shertallai and 0.85 g C/m2 at Cochin, where fewer species are present. This compares with a value of 0.63 g C/m2 for a sandy beach on the west coast of Scotland.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Ansell, A. D. and A. Trevallion: Studies on Telling tenuis Da Costa I. Seasonal growth and biochemical cycle. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 1, 220–235 (1967).
— Behavioural adaptations of intertidal molluses from a tropical sandy beach. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 4, 9–35 (1969).
Ansell, A. D. Brood protection in the stenoglossan gastropod Bullia melanoides (Deshayes). J. nat. Hist. (In press). (1970).
Brown, A. C.: Food relationships on the intertidal sandy beaches of the Cape Peninsular. S. Afr. J. Sci. 60, 35–41 (1964)
Buchanan, J. B.: Marine molluscs of the Gold Coast West Africa Jl W. Afr. Sci. Ass. 1, 30–45 (1954).
Crichton, M. D.: Marine shells of Madras. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 42, 323–341 (1942).
Dahl, E.: Some aspects of the ecology and zonation of the fauna on sandy beaches. Oikos, 4, 1–27 (1952).
Darbyshire, M.: The surface waters off the coast of Kerala, south-west India. Deep Sea Res. 14, 295–320 (1967).
Edwards, R. R. C., D. M. Finlayson and J. H. Steele: The ecology of 0-group plaice and common dabs in Loch Ewe. II. Experimental studies of metabolism. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 3, 1–17 (1969).
— and J. H. Steele: The ecology of 0-group plaice and common dabs at Loch Ewe. I. Population and food. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 2, 215–238 (1968).
La Fond, E. C. and R. Prasada Rao: Beach erosion cycles near Waltair on the Bay of Bengal. Andhra Univ. Mem. Oceanogr. 1, 63–77 (1954).
Gauld, D. T. and J. B. Buchanan: The fauna of sandy beaches in the Gold Coast. Oikos 7, 293–301 (1956).
Hedgepeth, J. W.: An introduction to the zoogeography of the north-western Gulf of Mexico with reference to the invertebrate fauna. Publs Inst. mar. Sci. Univ. Tex 3, 110–224 (1953).
Koepke, H. W. y M. Koepke: Sobre el proceso de transformacion en las plade la materia organicavas arenosas del Peru. Revta Fac. Cieno. Univ. nac. Lima 54, 5–29 (1952).
Kornicker, L. S.: Observations on the behaviour of the littoral gastropod, Terebra salleana. Ecology, N.Y. 42, p. 207 (1961).
Krumbein, W. C.: Size frequency distribution of sediments. J. sedim. Petrol. 4, 65–77 (1934).
Loesch, H. C.: Studies of the ecology of two species of Donax on Mustang Island, Texas. Publs Inst. mar. Sci. Univ. Tex. 4, 201–227 (1957).
MacNae, W. and M. Kalk: The fauna and flora of sand flats at Inhaca Island, Mozambique. J. Anim. Ecol. 31, 93–128 (1962).
Mauchline, J.: The biology of Schistomysis spiritus (Crustacea, Mysidacea). J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 47, 383–396 (1967).
—: The biology of Erythrops serrata and E. elegans (Crustacea, Mysidacea). J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 48, 455–464 (1968).
McIntyre, A. D.: The meiofauna and macrofauna of some tropical beaches. J. Zool. Lond. 156, 377–392 (1968).
— and A. E. Eleftheriou: The bottom fauna of a flatfish nursery ground. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 48, 113–142 (1968).
Pearse, A. S., H. J. Humm and G. W. Wharton: Ecology of sand beaches at Beaufort, North Carolina. Ecol. Monogr. 12, 135–190 (1942).
Pichon, M.: Contribution a l'etude des peuplements de la zone intertidale sur sables fin et sables vaseux non fixes dans la region de Tulear. Recl Trav. Stn mar. Endoume (Fasc. hors ser. Suppl. 7) 57–100 (1967).
Rodriquez, G.: The marine communities of Margarita Island, Venezuela. Bull. mar. Sci. Gulf Caribb. 9, 237–280 (1959).
Steele, J. H. and I. E. Baird: Production ecology of a sandy beach. Limnol. Oceanogr. 13, 14–25 (1968).
Trevallion, A., J. H. Steele and R. R. C. Edwards: Dynamics of a benthic bivalve. In: Marine food chains, Ed. by J. H. Steele. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd 1970. (In press).
Wade, B. A.: Studies on the biology of the west Indian beach clam, Donax denticulatus Linne I. Ecology. Bull. mar. Sci. 17, 149–174 (1967).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by N. K. Panikkar, Panaji
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Trevallion, A., Ansell, A.D., Sivadas, P. et al. A preliminary account of two sandy beaches in South West India. Marine Biology 6, 268–279 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347236
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347236