Observations on the distribution of Bankia australis calman (Mollusca : Teredinidae) in the Patonga Creek mangrove swamp, New South Wales

Abstract

The distribution of B. australis was found to be limited to the frontal zone of Avicennia marina despite the presence of apparently suitable wood throughout the mangrove swamp. Numbers of B. australis in dead tree stumps were found to decrease with increasing height and decreasing diameter of the stump. It is suggested that the insulating properties of the wood substratum may affect the distribution of B. australis by minimizing temperature effects during emersion.