Recovery of a tagged sacred chank, Xancus pyrum var. acuta Hornell, 1916 (Gastropoda: Turbinellidae) after Six Years

Abstract

A tagged chank, Xancus pyrum var. acuta was recovered in the Gulf of Mannar off Chinnapalam, six years after release for the first time. It was obtained at 9.5m depth at Chinnapalam in the Gulf of Mannar whereas it was released at 7.0m depth off Kundukal point, Pamban, Gulf of Mannar indicating its restricted movement within the ecosystem. The chank was found to have grown to 30mm in length, 16.8mm in breadth and 305g in weight during the 6 years. The monthly growth rates estimated in terms of shell length (0.41 mm.month-1), maximum shell diameter (0.23 mm.month-1) and total weight (4.17 g. month-1) indicates slow growth. The chank traveled a distance of 11.02 km within 6 years confirming its slow migration.