The present study aims to identify relationship between the structural and ecological characteristics of mangrove ecosystem and mollusc communities. Bivalve and gastropod are considered as the main molluscs of mangrove forests and often show marked zonation patterns both horizontally and vertically. Gastropods have high distribution in the mangrove forests probably due to their mobile characteristic, while bivalves are often confined to a narrow seaward zone, due to feeding, larval settlement restrictions and sediment texture such as low pH and high organic matter. The abundance, biomass, and diversity of molluscs within mangrove communities are likely to be influenced by physical structure of the mangrove forest (including pneumatophores and associated epiphytic algae), sediment textures (enriched in organic carbon, higher pore-water salinities and smaller median grain size), mangrove detritus (enriched in tannins, refractory to digestion and nutritionally poor). Furthermore, comparative studies within mangrove stands have revealed differences in benthic biomass and diversity associated with the age of the mangroves. In general, this study will show that even relatively smallscale modifications to the structure of mangrove ecosystems can lead to significant effects on the diversity and abundance of molluscs in these habitats.

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