A field study of chemotactic responses of the marine mud snail,Nassarius obsoletus

1975 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelle Atema ◽  
Gail D. Burd
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Mud Snail ◽  
Nassarius Obsoletus ◽  
Marine Mud

TheHydrobia ulvae–Maritrema subdolumassociation: cercarial emergence controlled by host activity

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.N. Mouritsen
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Adaptive Significance ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Hydrobia Ulvae ◽  
Mud Snail ◽  
Emergence Rate ◽  
Presence And Absence ◽  
Marine Mud ◽  
Cercarial Emergence

AbstractThe release ofMaritrema subdolumcercariae (Digenea: Microphallidae) from the marine mud snailHydrobia ulvaeis significantly affected by temperature, salinity, light and exudates from the second intermediate amphipod host. Based on (i) previously published data on temperature–salinity dependentH. ulvaeactivity, (ii) new experimental data onH. ulvaeactivity in light and darkness as well as in the presence and absence of host exudates, and (iii) the cercarial emergence rate from free moving snails and snails prevented from crawling, the present analysis indicates that emergence ofM. subdolumlarvae is regulated mainly by host activity as the ultimate factor for release. The adaptive significance of such an emergence strategy is emphasized.

scholarly journals Acidic Seawater can Promote Larval Metamorphosis in the Marine Mud Snail, Nassarius obsoletus

2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-71
Author(s):  
Esther M. Leise ◽  
Jeremy T. Washburn ◽  
Joshua Long ◽  
Brandi Bridgewater ◽  
Nishant Shah
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Larval Growth ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Larval Metamorphosis ◽  
Major Trend ◽  
Acidic Conditions ◽  
Nassarius Obsoletus ◽  
Marine Mud

Abstract Elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 have had the unintended effect of acidifying the world's oceans by at least 0.1 pH unit since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Current models of the effects of continued CO2 release anticipate a further increase in ocean acidity by 0.14 to 0.4 pH units by the end of this century. Numerous marine organisms with calcareous shells or exoskeletons are expected to undergo deleterious effects, including shell or exoskeletal dissolution or calcification with increased metabolic costs. While many studies have documented potential effects of ocean acidity on adult calcareous organisms, less work has focused on embryonic or developmental changes. Alterations in ocean biochemistry can affect metabolic processes beyond calcification, and our investigations into the development of the local intertidal mudsnail, Nassarius obsoletus, led us to hypothesize that rising ocean acidity would increase incidents of larval shell decalcification, decrease larval growth rates, and induce precocious metamorphosis. As an initial study of potential effects of future acidic conditions on larval N. obsoletus, we raised larvae in seawater adjusted to lower than normal pH levels with hydrochloric acid (HCl), measured larval growth every 5 days in 15 randomly selected individuals from each culture, and conducted experiments on larval metamorphosis in physiologically competent larvae. We found no major trend in growth patterns of larvae from pH 8.2 to 7.7. However, results from a number of pharmacological experiments demonstrated that larvae grown in acidic conditions metamorphose more readily than controls. Our investigations are far from a definitive exploration of the effects of oceanic acidity on the development of this marine mollusc, but our data suggest that key developmental processes in marine invertebrates may be influenced in unexpected ways by continued climatic changes.

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