Summary
Photo-orientation of the pond snailLymnaea stagnalis (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Basommatophora) was tested in a directed light field. The snails were tested, one at a time, on a horizontal glass plate in a frosted black perspex tank (Fig. 1). Intact control snails showed a clear positive photo-orientation and removal of eyes, of tentacles, or of eyes and tentacles had only minor effects upon the orientation parameters tested (Fig. 2). Evidently non-ocular photoreceptors function in positive photo-orientation (Figs. 3, 4).
One clear difference between the eyes and the non-ocular receptors could be demonstrated: after dark-adaptation intact animals orient very well at low light intensity, whereas blinded animals fail to do so (Fig. 5).
The dermal light-on sensitive system is postulated to be responsible for the non-ocular orientation behaviour.
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van Duivenboden, Y.A. Non-ocular photoreceptors and photo-orientation in the pond snailLymnaea stagnalis (L.). J. Comp. Physiol. 149, 363–368 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00619152
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00619152