title: Checklist of Gastropods from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Sarawak, Malaysia.
abstract: This study provides the first marine gastropod checklist from the Sarawak Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Gastropod samples were collected from selected stations in the Sarawak EEZ using an otter trawl net with a stretched mesh size of 38 mm at the cod end. The trawling operations were conducted more than 12 nautical miles from the coast, and the area was divided into three depth strata: I) 20-50 m, II) 50-100 m and III) 100-200 m. A total of 23 gastropod species were identified during the two-month sampling period from 16 August until 6 October 2015, representing 8 superfamilies, 15 families and 20 genera. Superfamily Tonnoidea was represented by 7 species, followed by Muricoidea (5 species), Cypraeoidea (4 species), and Buccinoidea and Conoidea (both with 2 species). Other superfamilies were represented by a single species. Only 3 species were obtained in 2 depth strata, namelyMelo melo,Murex aduncospinosusandTonna galea. In addition, 9, 13 and 4 species of gastropods were found in strata I, II and III, respectively. The information on gastropod distributions at different depth strata in the Sarawak EEZ could be useful in updating the Malaysian species diversity database.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Science, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wan Zabidii Wan
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Morni
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Science, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Siti Akmar Khadijah Ab
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rahim
authors.affiliation: Fisheries Research Institute, Sarawak, Department of Fisheries Malaysia, P.O. Box 2243, 93744 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rumpet
authors.affiliation: Fisheries Research Institute, Sarawak, Department of Fisheries Malaysia, P.O. Box 2243, 93744 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Jamil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Musel
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Science, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ruhana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hassan
keywords: Depth strata; Marine gastropods; Species composition