Abstract

A list of species of bivalve mollusks, their local distributions and relative abundance in Yeongil Bay were analysed. Species richness ranging from 1 to 37 species was low (less than 10) in some stations at the entrance and in the central part of the bay. Fifteen species (Acila insignis, Nucula tenuis, Yoldia notabilis, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Arca boucardi, Axinopsida subquadrata, Felaniella usta, Mactra chinensis, Raeta pulchella, Nitidotellina hokkaidoensis, Theora fragilis, Alvenius ojianus, Callithaca adamsi, Ruditapes philippinarum and Laternula anatina) were most frequently encountered, and seven of them were most abundant numerically (per sample): Th. fragilis in the inner bay, A. insignis, N. tenuis, and A. ojianus in the outer bay, and C. adamsi, A. subquadrata, R. puichella in both parts. Local distributions of common species were described and presented in plotted data, and three distribution patterns were recognized. Biogeographical analysis shows that a majority of species (55%) belongs to the subtropical group, tropical-subtropical species (16%) play a relatively significant role, and the percentage of boreal (temperate) and boreal-arctic species is 18% which characterizes the whole fauna as subtropical. Zonal-biogeographical composition and number of species in families in Yeongil Bay are compared with those of some Japanese (Wakasa and Mutsu) and Russian (Peter the Great, Possjet and Amursky) bays of the East Sea. The absence of a number of typical warm-water embaymental mollusks in Yeongil Bay found in the north further East Sea and Japan, and the similar zonal-biogeographical structure of the inner and outer bay faunas are explained by active water exchange due to the openness of the bay, relatively low summer temperatures, and presence of upwelled cold waters.