Abstract:

During the 19th Chinese Antarctic expedition in February of 2003,the Antarctic limpet population were investigated on the east and west coasts of Fildes Peninsula.The samples were randomly collected at three sites,the eastside of Ardley Island,the beach near the Great Wall Station and the rocky shore of Geography Bay on the west side of Fildes Peninsula,where limpet densities were counted in situ and samples were taken back for their shell length,width,height and weight.It shows that limpet sizes are obviously different between the populations at both sides of the peninsula.The shell length of limpet at Geography Bay is 1cm longer by average than the east coast.It shows a stronger allometry in the population at the west coast of peninsula.The evidence further postulates that harsher environmental conditions in the west coast are factors resulting in low density and larger shells.Factors,such as wave action,ice scouring and even the bio-harvest,may have modified population structure as well as shell morphology.