Abstract
Haeomolymph ionic concentrations were determined in three freshwater gastropods, Indoplanorbis exustus (Deshayes), Lymnaea acuminata (Lamarck) f. rufescens (Gray), and Pila virens (Lamarck). The influence of age (shell size) on the haemolymph concentrations of Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Cl−, as well as haemolymph osmolality was studied in groups of small, intermediate and large-sized snails of the three species. Sodium -and chloride were found to be the dominant ions in all the three species. In I. exustus and L. acuminata f. rufescens the concentrations of Na+ and K+ ions showed progressive decrease with increase in shell size. In I. exustus calcium concentration was higher in the small size-group snails whereas in L. acuminata f. rufescens it was in the large size-group snails. In P. virens also sodium, potassium and calcium ions showed age-dependent variations in concentration, sodium and calcium concentrations being higher in the large size-group snails, and potassium being higher in the small size-group snails. There was no statistically significant difference in haemolymph concentration of chloride, as in the osmolality among the three sizegroup snails of the three species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bayne BL (1973) Aspects of metabolism of Mytilus edulis during starvation. Neth J Sea Res 7:399–410
Burton RF (1965) Sodium, potassium and magnesium in the blood of the snail, Helix pomatia L. Physiol Zool 38:335–342
Burton RF (1983) Ionic regulation and water balance. In: Saleuddin ASM, Wilbur KM (eds) The mollusca 5. Academic Press, London, pp 291–352
Croxton FE, Cowden DJ, Klein S (1975) Applied general statistics, 3rd edn. Prentice-Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
de With ND, Sminia T (1980) The effects of the nutritional state and the external calcium concentration on the ionic composition of the haemolymph and on the calcium cells in the pulmonate freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Proc Kon Ned Akad Wet Series(C) 83:217–227
de With ND, Witteveen J, van der Woude HA (1980) Integumental Na+/H+ and Cl−/HCO− 3 exchanges in the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Proc Kon Ned Akad Wet Series(C) 83:209–215
Dietz TH, Branton WD (1979) Chloride transport in freshwater mussels. Physiol Zool 522:520–528
Gilles R (1979) Intracellular organic effectors. In: Gilles R (ed) Mechanisms of osmoregulation in animals. Wiley, New York, pp 111–154
Hyman LH (1967) The invertebrates, Vol. 6 Mollusca, McGraw-Hill, New York
Little C (1981) Osmoregulation and excretion in prosobranch gastropods. Part 1. Physiology and biochemistry. J Moll Stud 47:221–247
Machin J (1975) Water relationships. In: Fretter V, Peake J (eds) Pulmonates Vol 1. Academic Press, New York, pp 105–163
Meenakshi VR (1955) A quantitative study of the distribution of calcium in the soft parts of Pila virens (Lamarck). J Zool Soc India 7:35–40
Meenakshi VR, Blackwelder PL, Watabe N (1974) Studies on the formation of calcified egg-capsules of ampullarid snails. Calcif Tissue Res 16:283–291
Prasad BSV, Damodaran C, Reddy BR et al. (1985) Effect of xiphidiocercarial infection on the ionic composition of the snail host Lymnaea luteola. Indian J Comp Anim Physiol 1:5–8
Prosser LC (1973a) Water: osmotic balance, hormonal regulation. In: Prosser LC (ed) Comparative animal physiology, 3rd edn. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 1–78
Prosser LC (1973b) Inorganic ions. In: Prosser LC (ed) Comparative animal physiology, 3rd edn. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 79–110
Robertson JD (1964) Osmotic and ionic regulation. In: Wilbur KM, Yonge CM (eds) Physiology of mollusca, Vol 1. Academic Press, New York, pp 283–311
Robinson AM, Ovenston TCJ (1951) A simple flame photometer for international standard operation and notes on some new liquid spectrum filters. Analyst 76:416–424
Saxena BB (1957) Inorganic ions in the blood of Pila globosa (Swainson). Physiol Zool 30:161–164
Schoffeniels E, Gilles R (1972) Ion regulation and osmoregulation in mollusca. In: Florkin M, Scheer BT (eds) Chemical zoology, Vol 7. Academic Press, New York, pp 393–420
Shylaja R, Alexander KM (1975) Studies on the physiology of excretion in the freshwater prosobranch Pila virens II. Effect of osmotic stress on excretion. Indian J Exp Biol 13:366–368
Sminia T (1972) Structure and function of blood and connective tissue cells of the fresh water pulmonate Lymnaea stagnalis studied by electron microscopy and enzyme histochemistry. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat 130:497–526
Sminia T (1981) Gastropods. In: Ratcliffe NA, Rowley AF (eds) Invertebrate blood cells 1. Academic Press, New York, pp 191–232
Sminia T, de With ND, Boss JL et al. (1977) Structure and function of calcium cells of the freshwater pulmonate snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Neth J Zool 27:195–208
Sorokina ZA, Zelenskaya VS (1967) Peculiarities of electrolyte composition of molluscan hemolymph. (in Russian) Zh Evol Biokhim Fiziol 3:25–30
Thompson RJ (1977) Blood chemistry, biochemical composition and the animal reproductive cycle in the giant scallop Placopecten magellanicus from southeast Newfoundland. J Fish Res Board Can 34:2104–2116
Tompa AS (1980) Studies on the reproductive biology of gastropods. Part III. Calcium provision and the evolution of terrestrial eggs among gastropoda. J Conchol 30:145–154
Tompa AS, Wilbur KM (1977) Calcium mobilization during reproduction in the snail Helix aspersa. Nature 270:53–54
van Aardt WJ (1968) Quantitative aspects of the water balance in Lymnaea stagnalis (L.). Neth J Zool 18:253–312
Young JO (1975) Preliminary field and laboratory studies on the survival and spawning of several species of gastropoda in calciumpoor and calcium-rich waters. Proc Malacol Soc Lond 41:429–437
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Suresh, P.G., Reju, M.K. & Mohandas, A. Haemolymph ionic concentration in freshwater gastropods: A comparative study. Comparative Haematology International 5, 25–30 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214487
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214487