Age and growth of Neptunea arthritica estimated from growth marks in the operculum

Abstract The age and growth of the whelk, Neptunea arthritica, was estimated based on growth striae on the operculum. Individual whelks were sexed and divided into normal and abnormal groups, based on the presence of imposex and parasite infection. The monthly marginal growth was used to determine the annual growth mark formation on the operculum. The whelk's sex (male and female), condition (normal and abnormal) and size (mature and immature) were evaluated as factors that can affect the marginal growth. Only in normal females did size affect the marginal growth, suggesting that parasite infection and imposex were not a biasing factor in the age estimation. Significant differences between low and high monthly marginal growth in normal males were found. Between operculum length and shell length and total body weight a positive relationship was found, while the same trend was observed in all female groups as well as abnormal males, but differences were not significant. The same relationship was observed be...