Abstract

Chilean sub-Antarctic Channels region is one of the most diverse regions in molluscs species of the South Pacific Ocean in South America. This region exhibit intertidal zones with a high environmental heterogeneity at a local scale, including seasonal changes in photoperiod, rocky substrate diversity, salinity and temperature gradients. This study characterized molluscs assemblages in Róbalo bay 54°55'S (Beagle Channel), identifying spatial-temporal changes in assemblage composition, species richness, abundance, functional groups, and diversity of molluscs species. We registered 34 species comprising 4 functional groups, being mobile herbivores the most diverse group (21 species). The most abundant molluscs were Mytilus edulis platensis and Perumytilus purpuratus. Considering the mobile species only, the most abundant were Laevilitorina caliginosa and Siphonaria lessonii. In seasonal terms, species richness and abundance of mobile herbivores showed an increase during the austral summer. While the abundance of M. edulis platensis and mobile carnivores remained stable during the seasons. Regarding vertical zonation within the intertidal, we found that L. caliginosa is mainly associated with high intertidal, Pareuthria plumbea to the mid-zone, and N. deaurata to the low intertidal zone. Róbalo Bay high beta molluscs diversity was associated to the spatial variability of intertidal zones. These changes can be detected in between sites separated only by hundreds of meters, where local environmental heterogeneity likely plays a role structuring ecological assemblages and communities Sub-Antarctic channels.