MOLLUSCS are important members of the animal kingdom both from an ecological and an economic point of view. Here are descriptions of the main species present in the Bay of Goro.
The local variety of clams, the native palourde clam (Tapes decussatus) is a Mediterranean species which typically grows on sandy or muddy waterbeds. The large clam bed present in the Bay has, with time, dwindled to the point of near extinction. Hence, in order to fulfil market demand, a congeneric species called the Manila clam (Tapes philippinarum). was introduced into the Bay in the mid-1980s. Since its introduction in 1986, the Filipino clam has proved to reproduce very successfully and is currently the most cultivated variety for commercial purposes. The local and Manila clams are very similar, except that the latter variety grows to a relatively larger size (a clam weighing over 100g has been fished in the Bay), its shell displays radial striations and is more wrinkled than the local clam's. The really distinctive feature however regards the animal's two siphons (organs that permit the mollusc to breathe and feed): while in the local clam the siphons are clearly separated, in the Manila clam they are almost totally joined. Two other species cultivated for commercial reasons are the mussel (Mytilus spp.) and theoyster (Crassostrea spp).
The ark clam (Scapharca inaequivalvis), locally called "capun", originates in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and was introduced into the Adriatic accidentally at the end of the 1960s; thanks to its ability to resist in oxygen-poor environments, it has colonised much of the Adriatic seabed. Its resistance is due to the presence of a red pigment similar to haemoglobin which facilitates the transportation of oxygen to the tissues and makes the animal rich in blood. This is why the animal has no commercial value in Italy while being very sought after in oriental cooking.
The Rapana venosa is a large gastropod mollusc (sea snail) of the murex kind, also originating in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It possesses a beautiful spiral shell capable of reaching several centimetres. Its introduction in the waters of the Bay had originally caused some worries as it is a carnivorous species that preys on bivalves like mussels, clams, and oysters.
However, its impact on mollusc cultivations has been negligible and, on the contrary, its presence has been much appreciated by non-professional fishers and collectors. Another common mollusc that has proven to be extremely important from an economic point of view is the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). In addition to molluscs, the Bay's waterbed is inhabited by very many species of POLYCHAETES, among which are a kind of ragworm, the Nereis succinea, and a kind of serpulid worm, the Ficopomatus enigmaticus, both of which are worthy of mention.
The Nereis succinea is an errant polychaete commonly found in all of the Bay's waterbeds and used as bait by fishers. The Ficopomatus enigmaticus is a sedentary polychaete whose calcium stores, formed by thousands of individuals, lie on the bed and emerge during low tide. Each worm (2-3 cm long) builds calcium tubes from the top extremity of which emerges a crown of feathered tentacles used for breathing and for filtering water in search of food. Among the CRUSTACEANS, worthy of mention are the crab (Carcinus mediterraneus), the crayfish (Palemon spp.), and the marine isopod Idothea baltica, a crustacean approximately 1 cm long that swims quickly on the surface of the water. Many FISH species are present in the lagoons and in the rivers, and are farmed for commercial purposes. Many species can withstand a considerable range of saltiness. Among those species that are fished, worthy of mention are: two species of mullets (Mugil cephalus, also known as the flathead mullet, and the Liza), the Boyer's sand smelt (Atherina boyeri), the eel (Anguilla anguilla), the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), the gilthead bream (Sparus aurata), the sole and the plaice (Solca spp. and Pktichthis flesus). Also common but unimportant from an economic point of view are: the blenny (Blennius spp.), the grass goby (Zosterisessor ophiocephalus), and the goby's Gobius and Pomatoschistus varieties, all of which are small species that live in the bottom. In the canals and in the Po of Goro are the most common fresh water fish, such as: the tench (Tinca tinca), the goldfish (Carassius auratus), the carp (Cyprinus carpio), the catfish (Ictalurus melas), and the silurus (Silurus glanis). Among species that were once very common and which have become extremely rare, worthy of mention are: the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and the sturgeon (Acipenser naccaris), the latter being typical of the Adriatic Sea. Among MARINE REPTILES, worthy of mention are: the turtle (Caretta caretta), often sighted near the Scannone sandbank, and the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), common in fresh water canals and along the Po of Goro.

NON INDIGENOUS SPECIES