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Morphological and functional specializations of the shell, musculature and pallial glands in the Lithophaginae (Mollusca: Bivalvia)
Author(s) -
Morton Brian,
Scott P. J. B.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1980.tb04229.x
Subject(s) - biology , mollusca , bivalvia , coral , mantle (geology) , habitat , ecology , anatomy , paleontology
The structure of the pallial glands in limestone and coral boring species of Lithophaga (Bivalvia: Lithophaginae) is examined and related to evolutionary trends in habitat specialization. Boring glands of all species occur in the middle mantle fold but display a progressive degree of complexity from simple epithelial to ducted sub‐epithelial structures coinciding with increasing specialization of habitat from natural limestone to species specific live coral dwellers. The size of this gland is relatively reduced anteriorly and along the entire length of the mantle in live coral borers.