1979
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Georges Richard et al., « Mollusques et faune benthique du lagon de Takapoto », Journal de la Société des Océanistes, ID : 10.3406/jso.1979.2993
Mollusques et faune benthique du lagon de Takapoto. At least 93 species of Molluscs (58 Gastropods, 34 Bivalves, 1 Cephalopod) exist within the closed lagoon of the Takapoto atoll. The distribution by biotop and by bathymetric level is studied for the most abundant species ; they are Area ventricosa, Chama imbricata and Tridacna maxima for the endofauna, Rhinoclavis fasciatus, Vexillum cadaverosum, Fragum fragum and Lioconcha philippinarum for the epifauna. The Tridacna (14 million individuals — 530 tons of living matter) and the Area (38,5 millions — 340 tons) constitute most of the exemples of the malacological fauna, but the Mother-of-pearl, Pinctada margaritifera, intensively exploited in French Polynesia, is also the subject of quantitative estimates and breeding tests. Along with Molluscs, Corals (mainly Porites, Millepora, Montipora), Echinoderms (Halodeima atra) and Crustaceas (Brachiurs) represent a significant amount of the marine Invertebrates, while the sciaphil fauna (a few species of Sponges) is scarce compared to what is located on the outer slope. In this case we have a fauna typical of a closed atoll, where the uniformity and proliferation of 2 or 3 species in each zoological phylum is opposed to heterogeneousness and wealth of species found in open lagoons like Rangiroa and Mururoa.