Schelpeninventarisatie op het strand van Larnaca Bay, Cyprus

Shells were collected on a stretch of 4-5 km of the beach of Larnaca Bay (Cyprus) (ca. 12 km east of Larnaca) during two weeks in March/April of 1993, 1996 and 1998. In total, 94 species were found (see list): in 1993 58, and in 1996 19 and in 1998 (compared to 1993 and 1996) again 17 new species (+ in the list) were found. This implies that the number of species living in Larnaca Bay must be much higher than 94. In 1993 and in 1996 the weather was calm (as is normal at this time of the year), often with land-wind. In 1998, however, strong sea-winds (and even storms) prevailed. Many of the 17 new species (found in this year) have large and heavy shells and these must have reached the beach due to these exceptional conditions. The importance of sorting phenomena during the beachward transport of shells (tides, strength and direction of wind and waves on the one hand, and shell-characteristics-size, general form, left/right asymmetry, the presence of holes, teeth, etc. – on the other), is stressed.