Spermatogenesis and lobular cyst type of testes organization in marine gastropod Littorina saxatilis (Olivi 1792)

Knowledge of the testis structure is important for gastropod taxonomy and phylogeny, particularly for the comparative analysis of sympatric Littorina species. Observing fresh tissue and squashing fixed tissue with gradually increasing pressure, we have recently described a peculiar type of cystic spermatogenesis, rare in mollusks. It has not been documented in most mollusks until now. The testis of adult males consists of numerous lobules filled with multicellular cysts containing germline cells at different stages of differentiation. Each cyst is formed by one cyst cell of somatic origin. Here, we provide evidence for the existence of two ways of cyst formation in Littorina saxatilis. One of them begins with a goniablast cyst formation; it somewhat resembles cyst formation in Drosophila testes. The second way begins with capture of a free spermatogonium by the polyploid cyst cell which is capable to move along the gonad tissues. This way of cyst formation has not been described previously. Our data expand the understanding of the diversity of spermatogenesis types in invertebrates.

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Interactive effects of parasitic infection and ocean acidification on the calcification of a marine gastropod

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps11459 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 537 ◽

pp. 137-150 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

CD MacLeod ◽

R Poulin

Keyword(s):

Ocean Acidification ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Marine Gastropod

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Invasion by the marine gastropod Ocinebrellus inornatus in France. II. Expansion along the Atlantic coast

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps273163 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 273 ◽

pp. 163-172 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

C Martel ◽

F Viard ◽

D Bourguet ◽

P Garcia-Meunier

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Coast ◽

Marine Gastropod

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Phylogeography of the Marine Gastropod Reticunassa festiva Complex (Nassariidae) in the Coast of China

Journal of Shellfish Research ◽

10.2983/035.039.0223 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 419

Author(s):

Yi Yang ◽

Lu Qi ◽

Lingfeng Kong ◽

Qi Li

Keyword(s):

Marine Gastropod

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Adaptation to a steep environmental gradient and an associated barrier to gene exchange in Littorina saxatilis.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.1010720.372736 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Hendry

Keyword(s):

Environmental Gradient ◽

Gene Exchange ◽

Littorina Saxatilis

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A developmentally descriptive method for quantifying shape in gastropod shells

Journal of The Royal Society Interface ◽

10.1098/rsif.2019.0721 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (163) ◽

pp. 20190721

Author(s):

J. Larsson ◽

A. M. Westram ◽

S. Bengmark ◽

T. Lundh ◽

R. K. Butlin

Keyword(s):

Empirical Studies ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Shell Shape ◽

Large Set ◽

Littorina Saxatilis ◽

Shape Variation ◽

Gastropod Shell ◽

Geometric Morphometric ◽

Wide Range ◽

Descriptive Method

The growth of snail shells can be described by simple mathematical rules. Variation in a few parameters can explain much of the diversity of shell shapes seen in nature. However, empirical studies of gastropod shell shape variation typically use geometric morphometric approaches, which do not capture this growth pattern. We have developed a way to infer a set of developmentally descriptive shape parameters based on three-dimensional logarithmic helicospiral growth and using landmarks from two-dimensional shell images as input. We demonstrate the utility of this approach, and compare it to the geometric morphometric approach, using a large set of Littorina saxatilis shells in which locally adapted populations differ in shape. Our method can be modified easily to make it applicable to a wide range of shell forms, which would allow for investigations of the similarities and differences between and within many different species of gastropods.

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