Diversity and abundance of epibiota on invasive and native estuarine gastropods depend on substratum and salinity

摘要: Our understanding of variation in epibiota communities remains incomplete. This study relates such variability to multiple concurrent environmental factors. Specifically we determined the relative importance salinity, depth, wave exposure, habitat and ‘shell type’ (shell type combined species, size, morphology mobility traits) for community structure sessile on gastropods Swan River Estuary, Australia. We quantified distribution, biofouling patterns, detailed structures gastropod species estuary – native Nassarius pauperatus Bedeva paiva invasive Batillaria australis. The was much more abundant, biofouled, than any thereby supporting orders magnitude estuary. Generalised linear models were used partition richness abundance among above listed Of five factors only shell salinity significant 9 14 models. These results highlight (1) that a single can alter large system-wide scale, (2) an overwhelming explaining estuarine communities, (3) additional need be included future studies improve predictive distribution communities.