Malacofauna diversity associated with distribution of Anomalocardia flexuosa (Linnaeus, 1767) (Mollusca: Bivalvia) on a tropical sandy beach

Knowledge about biological diversity is essential for the establishment of measures that lead to the protection of natural resources. Sandy beaches are areas of high diversity, with the malacofauna being an important component. Several mollusks are of great economic importance and the spatial distribution of these species on sandy beaches is linked to physical and biological factors. The aim of this study was to analyze the diversity of the malacofauna associated with Anomalocardia flexuosa distribution on a tropical sandy beach. Samples were collected bimonthly between April 2016 and February 2018 at 34 points distributed throughout a sandbar. The frequencies of occurrence of the species were calculated, and diversity indices were estimated and correlated with the densities of A. flexuosa. A total of 4,780 individuals from 11 species were obtained. The most frequent species were A. flexuosa and Neritina virginea. There were significant correlations between A. fleuxosa density and diversity, and overlap occurred between mollusks over the collection months and sites. Therefore, targeted catches for this species should also consider all other mollusks to mitigate future damage to malacofauna diversity in the region.