Study of marine gastropod species in Balasore, Odisha, India, focusing shell morphometric distinctiveness through PCA analysis

Abstract Background Data on the taxonomic variety of marine organisms is important for understanding the reasons of underpinning species diversification in locations with low physical barriers. Morphology is widely used for the organization of life. Morphometrics is one approach to investigating and characterizing the wide variety of animal shapes and sizes. During April 2022–April 2023, we randomly collected samples of nine important marine mollusc species from the Balramgadi, Bahabalpur, and Talapada coasts in the Balasore district of Odisha, India. In the morphometric analysis, the specimens were categorized into several groups based on their ratios of SL/SW, SL/AL, SL/AW, SL/SPL, and SL/BL. Result In this research, we examined the distribution of nine mollusc species. Balramgadi shows a higher concentration of Indothias lacerais compared to Bahabalpur. Conversely, Indothias lacerais is also more prevalent in Bahabalpur than in Balramgadi. Additionally, while Paratectonatica tigrina and Purpura bufo are abundant in the both areas, however their distributions vary. Using the study area as a backdrop, principal component analysis (PCA) shows the significant connection between different kinds of organisms. This study demonstrates a favorable correlation between shell length and body size for the available species of Talapada ( T. duplicata and I. lacera ) and Balaramgadi ( C. magus , L. canarium , and P. bufo ). Whereas in Bahabalpur, T. telescopium and V. cochlidium are found, there is an inverse association between SL and other factors. Shell widths of C. magus , P. tigrina , and L. canarium are inversely correlated; nevertheless, there is a much more in common across the six species found in both Talapada and Bahabalpur. Body length is positively correlated with total weight in the species P. bufo , T. duplicata , M. trapa , I. lacera , P. tigrina , Teliscopum teliscopium , L. canarium , C. magus , and V. cochlidium , but negatively correlated with shell width, as shown by the Pearson correlation test. Conclusion The article explores the use of morphometric analysis to differentiate nine mollusc species in significant coastal areas of Odisha, India. The study aims to identify variations in surroundings across sites and establish a benchmarks for future morphometric studies. Morphometric data can be used to quantify population diversity and investigate environmental factors’ impact on shell development and trait selection of selected molluscs.