The Victorian naturalist . Synnot and G. C. Wescott* Few descriptions of patterns of in-tertidal zonation are available for theflora and fauna on Victorian rockyshores. There is some information onsheltered areas in bays, King,Black & Ducker (1971) for PortPhillip and Smith, Coleman & Watson(1975) for Westernport Bay. Dakin(1952), Bennett & Pope (1953), Knox(1963), Stephenson & Stephenson (1972) and King (1972), have dis-cussed the general features of zona-tion and biogeography of the organ-isms present on exposed coastlines. Among more general works on in-tertidal ecology, Dakin (1952)re
The Victorian naturalist . Synnot and G. C. Wescott* Few descriptions of patterns of in-tertidal zonation are available for theflora and fauna on Victorian rockyshores. There is some information onsheltered areas in bays, King,Black & Ducker (1971) for PortPhillip and Smith, Coleman & Watson(1975) for Westernport Bay. Dakin(1952), Bennett & Pope (1953), Knox(1963), Stephenson & Stephenson (1972) and King (1972), have dis-cussed the general features of zona-tion and biogeography of the organ-isms present on exposed coastlines. Among more general works on in-tertidal ecology, Dakin (1952)remains the only comprehensive Aus-tralian work in this field. Unfortun-ately it deals mainly with New SouthWales shores and it is also taxonomi-cally obsolete. Morton and Miller (1973) give an excellent account ofthe ecology of organisms on all shoretypes in New Zealand; many of theorganisms discussed are closely re-lated to Australian ones. The onlybook which is concerned wholly with 5f MELBOURNE GEELONG«-. KILOMETERS Figure 1. The locaition of the FlindersReef. the marine fauna of Victoria isMacPherson and Gabriels (1962)Marine Molluscs of Victoria. This paper describes the ecology ofthe Flinders reef at the heads ofWesternport Bay (Figure 1). Thislocality is an example of a semi-exposed reef (sensu Bennett & Pope,1960), and the fauna and flora foundhere are typical of the southern Vic-torian coasthne. It also provides anintroduction to the basic physical andbiological features of intertidal eco-logy. For this purpose a few generalpoints are presented before the faunaand flora of Fhnders are described indetail. Intertidal Zonation Zonation, the distribution of ani-mals and plants in distinct bands alongthe shore, is most easily observed onrock platforms which slope gentlytowards the sea. The bands are termedintertidal (or vertical) zonation pat-terns. The causes of zonation are notyet completely clear. Doty (1946) pro-posed that the zones are determinedby fluctuations in sea
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