Understanding Kūpeʻe (Nerita polita) Gonad Development and Demography for Continued Use at Two Sites on Hawaiʻi Island

Abstract

Kūpeʻe (Nerita polita Linnaeus, 1758) is a cryptic, mostly nocturnal intertidal species of gastropod mollusc used widely in Hawaiʻi for sustenance and cultural practices. Despite a long tradition of human interaction with this species, information is generally lacking regarding its reproductive ecology. Results of this study suggest that male and female individuals do not differ significantly in size and that the minimum shell length at maturity for both males and females is 14 mm. Mature gonads were present in both sexes throughout the study period, and mating was documented throughout the same period, suggesting continuous spawning throughout the year. These results are consistent at both study sites, Kawaihae and Waiuli, Hawaiʻi. Comparison of population size structure at the study sites with the desirable shell lengths, as denoted by the Bishop Museum lei collection and modern lei, shows that less than 5% of the population fits into the desirable size range.