Abundance and diversity of Conus species (Gastropoda: Conidae) at the northern tip of New Ireland province of Papua New Guinea

In this study we conducted a survey of the diversity and abundance of species of the genus Conus over two macrohabitats in the eastern rim of the Bismarck Archipelago at the northern tip of New Ireland province of Papua New Guinea. The main aim was to set a baseline for the future use of Conus species as a biodiversity indicator to monitor human impact and conservation efforts in this region. We observed 422 live cone snails on 10 reefs covering 30 different species, with an overall diversity index of 0.924. The two habitats displayed a 74% proportional similarity with an average Corms density of 24 +/- 9/ha (x +/- SD, total sampled surface area: similar to 0.652 km(2)). Corms flavidus, C. wiles, C. sanguinolentus., C. distans and C. litteratus were the five most abundant species. Night sampling at marine-protected Lissenung Island highlighted substantial differences between clay and night observations. Sampling at 30 m depth confirmed the presence of the recently identified C. moncuri in this area. Overall, genus Corms was strongly present in all of the sampled sites and represents a good low-cost indicator for long-term studies of human impact and facile comparison of the health of similar, but geographically distant ecosystems