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THE FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY OF THE BUCCAL MASS OF THE LIMPET (PATELLA VULGATA)
Author(s) -
GRAHAM ALASTAIR
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
proceedings of the zoological society of london
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0370-2774
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1964.tb03862.x
Subject(s) - protractor , anatomy , buccal administration , biology , retractor , medicine , surgery , bioinformatics , engineering drawing , engineering
The buccal mass of the limpet is protruded by dorsal, lateral and ventral protractor muscles originating on the body wall and inserted on a posterior pair of radular cartilages. The radula and subradular membrane are pulled outwards by protractor muscles orginating on radular cartilages, on the shell muscle and in the pedal musculature. After being set on the substratum the radular teeth are pulled over it in a longitudinal direction collecting food, and are then withdrawn into the buccal cavity by the contraction of a powerful retractor muscle. The protractor and retractor muscles are responsible for opening the mouth and lips during the early and late stages respectively of each act of feeding. They also press the jaw against the buccal mass, an action which is responsible for pressing the buccal mass against the substratum, which controls the opening of the radula and which helps in the retraction of the buccal mass. Tensor muscles are also involved in this activity. All muscles are striped and contain haemoglobin. Turgor due to blood pressure is an essential part of the mechanism and the circulation through the head is described. Five pairs of cartilages support the buccal mass, bound together by muscles. There is no erection of the radular teeth at the bending plane. The buccal mass of Patella is compared with that of Monodonata and that of Neopilina