Fauna of Gastropods in the Intertidal Zone of Kharg Island (Persian Gulf)

This study aimed to identify the gastropod fauna in the intertidal areas of Kharg Island by differentiating the families Trochidae, Planaxidae, Turbinidae, and Muricidae using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Gastropod sampling was conducted at five stations in the intertidal zones of Kharg Island (depths less than 1 meter) during the spring and winter of 2015. The samples were frozen and transported to the laboratory. Following a morphometric study, the organic matter in the oral cavity of the gastropods was digested, and their radulae were isolated and prepared for SEM analysis. Five species were identified in this research: Trochus firmus, Trochus erithreus (Trochidae), Turbo radiatus (Turbinidae), Planaxis sulcatus (Planaxidae), and Thais savignyi (Muricidae). The radula types were ripidoglossan in Trochus firmus, Trochus erithreus, and Turbo radiatus; taenioglossan in Planaxis sulcatus; and stenoglossan in Thais savignyi. The radulae of these gastropods differed in the shape of their central, lateral, and marginal teeth. Therefore, the evaluation of radulae using a scanning electron microscope is an effective method for more precise identification of gastropods.