Phenotypic classification of moluccas ring cowrie, Cypraea annulus linn., 1758 (gastropod: cypraeidae), based on shell meristical Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Abstract The taxonomy of marine biota is the process of analyzing the characters that exist in the individual, connecting the available characters and creating similarities and inequalities between a large number of individuals. It is not easy to find and measure similarities or resemblance in great diversity. This study

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... ims to construct the taxonomic character of Cypraea annulus based on shell meristic; analyzed the developmental stages of the ring snail shell and investigated the phenotypic classification of ring snails with numerical taxonomic approaches. This research lasted four years on the island of Larat and Ambon. The sample used was 2926 shells. Construction of morphological taxonomic characters using binary data types and ordinal types each with 84 test characters and 32 specimens of operational taxonomic units. The data is processed and analyzed by Laboratory of Maritime and Marine Science Centre for Excellence, University of Pattimura. The results of this study indicate that the development stage of C. annulus shell are: Juvenile stage (11-14.99 mm), subadult (15.00-18.99 mm), adult (19.00-22.99 mm) and post adult (> 23.00 mm). The distribution of similarity coefficient and phenotypicdistance values between 32 OTU C. annulus has a meristic phenotypic similarity in the range of values 95% -100% and the phenotypic distance in the range of less than 1.0. Phenotypic classification of C. annulus based on the meristic taxonomic character with characters 84 of the test at binary data type obtained one taxon phenotypic at a phenon similarity level of 90%; where as 84 of character test with theordinal data type, obtained two taxa phenotypic at taxonomic correlation level 0.880. Citation : Laimeheriwa BM, Khouw AS, Natan YL, et al. Phenotypic classification of moluccas ring cowrie, Cypraea annulus linn., 1758 (gastropod: cypraeidae), based on shell meristical. Citation: Laimeheriwa BM, Khouw AS, Natan YL, et al. Phenotypic classification of moluccas ring cowrie, Cypraea annulus linn., 1758 (gastropod: cypraeidae), based on shell meristical.