The cells which are described in this study surround the salivary nerve of the terrestrial mollusc, Limax maximus. The salivary system of Limax consists of bilateral glands, ducts, and nerves. The salivary nerves originate at the buccal ganglia, which are situated on the posterior face of the buccal mass, and run along the salivary duct to the gland. The salivary nerve branches several times near the gland, and eventually sends processes into the gland.The pore cells begin to appear at the first large branch point of the salivary nerve, near the gland (Figure 1). They follow the nerve distally and eventually accompany the nerve branches into the gland tissue. The cells are 20-50 microns in diameter and contain very small nuclei (1-5 microns) (Figure 2).The cytoplasm of the pore cells is segregated into a storage area of glycogen and an organelle region located in a band around the cell periphery (Figure 3).
Citizen science reveals the present range and a potential native predator of the invasive slug Limax maximus Linnæus, 1758 in Hokkaido, Japan
