The Conidae Family (Snails Producers of Poisons) Associated with the Rocky Intertidal Zone of Acapulco, Mexico

Rafael Flores-Garza, Yareni M. Garcia-Moctezuma, Pedro Flores-Rodríguez, Jesús E. Michel-Morfín, Carmina Torreblanca-Ramírez

Departamento de Estudios para el Desarrollo Sustentable de Zonas Costeras, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
Laboratorio de Ecología Costera y Sustentabilidad, Unidad Académica de Ecología Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Acapulco, Mexico.
Unidad de Ciencias de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Acapulco, Mexico.

DOI: 10.4236/nr.2014.58032                

Abstract

Acapulco, Mexico has a coastline of 62 km where large areas of rocky substrate inhabited by organisms such as the GASTROPODA Class can be found. Conidae (Fleming, 1822) Family is among the members of this Class, which has been poorly studied in the Mexican Pacific, despite their biomedical potential. This research was carried out in the rocky intertidal of nine sites in Acapulco. The objectives were: 1) Prepare an inventory of species associated with rocky intertidal of Conidae family, 2) examine the composition of the family based on two criteria: a) species richness and b) abundance, 3) determine the geographical distribution and 4) analyze the size composition. The unit sampled was 1 m² and the sampled area was 10 m² persite. A total of 97 organisms were analyzed, corresponding to two subfamilies, five genera and five species. The Puncticuliinae (Tucker & Tenorio, 2009) subfamily had higher species richness, abundance and frequency of occurrence. The most abundant and most common species were Harmoniconus nux (Broderip, 1833) and Gladioconus gladiator (Broderip, 1833) both showed regular distribution. The size structure found for Conidae family is similar to what has been reported in other research. For the first time G. gladiator is being reported for the state of Guerrero.

Keywords

Conidae, Acapulco, Poison, Distribution, Rocky Intertidal Zone

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Tait, R.V. and Dipper. F.A. (1998) Elements of Marine Ecology. 4th Edition, Buttrtworth-Heinemann.
[2]	Díaz, J.M., Gracia A.C. and Cantera. K.J.R. (2005) Checklist of the Cone Shells (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Neogastropoda. Conidae) of Colombia. Biota Colombiana, 6, 73-85. http://www.redalyc.org/pdf/491/49106105.pdf
[3]	Tenorio, M.J., Tucker J.K. and Chaney. H.W. (2012) A Conchologt Iconography. The Families Conilithidae and Conidae. The Cones of the Eastern Pacific. Hackernheim: Conchbooks.
[4]	Bandel, K. (1976) Spinning Development and Ecology of Some Higher Neogastropoda from the Caribbean Coast of Colombia (South America). The Veliger, 19, 176-193.
[5]	Keen, A.M. (1971) Sea Shells of Tropical West America. 2nd Edition, Stanford, California, EEUU.
[6]	Rockel, D., Korn, W. and Kohn. A.J. (1995) Manual of the Living Conidae, Vol. 1 The Indo-Pacific Region Christa Hemmen. Verlag, Wiesbaden, Germany.
[7]	Dance, S.P. and Von. R. Cosel. (1977) Das grosse Buch der Meeresmuschelm: Schenecken und Muscheln der Weltmeere, Verlag E. Ulmer, Stuttgart, Germany.
[8]	López, S.J. (2004) Técnicas e biología Molecular Aplicadas a la Taxonomía y Filogenia de Moluscos. Spira, 23-33.
[9]	Landa-Jaime, V. and Rciniega-Flores. J.A (1998) Macromoluscos bentónicos de fondos blandos de la plataforma continental de Jalisco y Colima, México. México. Ciencias Marinas, 24, 155-167.
[10]	Villarroel, M.M., Magana, M.A., Gómez, C.B., Del Rio, Z.O., Lucio, P.J. and Sánchez, S.J. (2000) Diversidad de moluscos en el litoral rocoso de Michoacán, México. Mexicoa, 2, 54-63.
[11]	Zamorano, P., Barrientos-Luján, N.A. and Ramírez-Luna. S. (2008) Malacofauna del infralitoral rocoso de Agua Blanca, Santa Elena Cozoaltepec, Oaxaca. Ciencia y Mar, XII, 19-33. http://www.umar.mx/revistas/36/malacofauna.pdf
[12]	Ortiz-Arellano, M.A. and Flores-Campana, L.M. (2008) Catálogo descriptivo e ilustrado de los moluscos de la zona intermareal de las islas de la bahía de Navachiste, Sinaloa, México. Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa y Gobierno del Estado de Sinaloa-Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología.
[13]	Flores R.P., Santiago, C.E., Flores, G.R., García, I.S., Torreblanca, R.C., Galeana, R.L. and Rojas, H.A.A. (2012) Malacofauna de la zona intermareal rocosa de San Pedro Mixtepec y de Sata María Tonameca, Oaxaca, Mexico. Tlamati Sabiduria, 4, 28-34.
[14]	Villalpando, E. (1986) Diversidad y zonación de moluscos de Facie rocosa isla de la Roqueta, Acapulco, Gro. Tesis de Licenciatura. Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. México, DF.
[15]	Salcedo, M.S., Green, G., Gamboa, C.A. and Gómez. P. (1988) Inventario de macroalgas y macroinvertebrados béntico, presentes en áreas rocosas de Zihuatanejo, Gro, Méx. Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnologia. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 15, 73-96.
[16]	Flores-Rodríguez, P., Flores-Garza, R., García-Ibánez, S. and Valdés-González, A. (2003) Riqueza y diversidad de la malacofauna del mesolitoral rocoso de la Isla la Roqueta, Acapulco, Guerrero, México. época, 11, 5-14.
[17]	Flores, R.P. (2004) Estructura de la comunidad de Moluscos del mesolitoral superior en playas de Facie rocosa del Estado de Guerrero, México. Tesis de Doctorado. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Nuevo León.
[18]	Torreblanca, R.C. (2010) Análisis de la diversidad y estructura de la comunidad de moluscos del mesolitoral rocoso de Acapulco, Gro., Tesis de Licenciatura. Unidad Académica de Ecología Marina. Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero.
[19]	Flores-Garza, R., Torreblanca-Ramírez, C., Flores-Rodríguez, P., Garcia-Ibanez, S., Galeana-Rebolledo, L., ValdésGonzález, A. and Rojas-Herrera, A.A. (2011) Mollusc Community a Rocky Intertidal Zone in Acapulco, México. Biodiversity, 12, 144-153. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14888386.2011.625520#.UzxKC6gk1dg
[20]	Flores-Rodríguez, P., Flores-Garza, R., García-Ibánez, S., Valdés-González, A., Violante-González, J., Cortés, E., Galeana-Rebolledo, L. and Torreblanca-Ramírez, C. (2012) Mollusk Species Richness on the Rocky Shores of the State of Guerrero, Mexico, as Affected by Rains and Their Geographical Distribution. Natural Resources, 3, 248-260. http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=26293#.UzxFHKgk1dg
[21]	Torreblanca, R.C., Flores, R., Flores, P., García, S., Valdés, A. and Galeana, L. (2012) Gastropodos del intermareal rocoso en Tlacopanocha, Acapulco, México. Tlamati Sabiduría, 4, 47-57.
[22]	Landa, J.V. (2013) Bases ecológicas de los caracoles marinos del Género Conus asociados al arrecife coralino de Tenacatita, Jalisco, México. Tesis de Doctorado. Posgrado en Ciencias Biológico Agropecuarias. Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Nayarit.
[23]	Landa, J.V., Michel, M.J.E., Castillo, V.S.G. and Heimer, C.E.P. (2013) Los caracoles, conos de Tenacatita, productores de venenos con potencial biomédico. Elementos, 90, 41-48. http://www.elementos.buap.mx/num90/pdf/41.pdf
[24]	Flores-Garza, R., Galeana-Rebolledo, L., Reyes-Gómez, A., García-Ibánez, S., Torreblanca-Ramírez, C., Flores-Rodríguez, P. and Valdés, A. (2012) Polyplacophora Species Richness, Composition and Distribution of Its Community Associated with the Intertidal Rocky Substrate in the Marine Priority Region No. 32 in Guerrero, Mexico. Open Journal of Ecology, 2, 192-201. http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=24567#.UzxGnKgk1dg
[25]	Mottana, A., Crespi, R. and Liborio, G. (1980) Guía de minerales y rocas, segunda edición. Grijalbo, Barcelona.