Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Osmotic and ionic concentration of the egg capsule fluid of Crepidula fornicata in relation to embryonic development

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Osmotic pressure and major ions (Cl−, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+) of the egg capsule fluid in the slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata were investigated in relation to embryonic development. Calcium permeability of the capsule wall was studied at oviposition, by dipping freshly laid egg capsules in 45Ca as a tracer. This study also determined total calcium content of the embryos at different developmental stages. Osmolarity and major ion concentrations in egg capsule fluid were higher than seawater at uncleaved and trochophore stages, and then dropped to the same level as sea water at veliger stage. Concentrations of Cl− and Na+ were relatively high at oviposition, peaked at trochophore stage, and finally dropped close to concentrations of seawater at hatching. In contrast, concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+ decreased steadily during capsular development. Radiotracer permeability experiments in freshly laid egg capsules confirmed that the capsule wall is impermeable to this ion at that stage. However, because of the dissolution of the inner layer of the wall during the final part of capsular development, the wall becomes permeable to calcium and probably to the rest of the major ions studied.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Malek ET (1954a) Morphological studies on the family Planorbidae (Mollusca: Pulmonata). The genital organs of Helisoma trivolis (Say) (Subfamily Helisomatinae, F.C. Baker, 1945). Trans Am Microsc Soc 73:103–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abdel-Malek ET (1954b) Morphological studies on the family Planorbidae (Mollusca: Pulmonata). II. The genital organs of Biomphalaria boissyi (Subfamily Palnorbidae, H.A. Pilsbury, 1934). Trans Am Microsc Soc 73:285–296

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson DT (1966) Further observations on the life histories of littoral gastropods in New South Wales. Proc Linn Soc NSW 90:242–251

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews EB (1964) The functional anatomy and histology of the reproductive system of some pilid gastropod molluscs. Proc Malacol Soc Lond 36:121–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Ankel WE (1937) Der feinere bau des kokons der purpurschnecke Nucella lapillus (L) und seine bedeutung für das laichleben. Verh Dt Zool Ces (Zool Anz Suppl) 10:77–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandel K (1974) Spawning and development of some Columbellidae from the Caribbean Sea of Colombia (South America). Veliger 16:271–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Bayne CJ (1968) Histochemical studies on the egg capsules of eight gastropod molluscs. Proc Malacol Soc Lond 38:199–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Birks JB (1964) The theory and practice of scintillation counting. Pergamon Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaparro OR, Oyarzun RF, Vergara AM, Thompson RJ (1999) Energy investment in nurse eggs and egg capsules in Crepidula dilatata Lamarck (Gastropoda, Calyptraeidae) and its influence on the hatching size of the juvenile. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 232:261–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cledon M, Simone LRL, Penchaszadeh PE (2004) Crepidula cachimilla (Mollusca: Gastropoda), a new species from Patagonia Argentina. Malacologia 46:185–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Cledon M, Penchaszadeh PE (2001) Reproduction and brooding of Crepidula argentina, Simone, Pastorino and Penchaszadeh, 2000 (Gastropoda: Calyptraeidae). Nautilus 115:15–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Culkin F, Cox RA (1966) Sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and strontium in sea water. Deep Sea Res Ocean Abstr 13:789

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • D′Asaro CN (1969) The egg capsule of Jenneria pustulata (Lightfoot, 1786) with some notes on spawning in the laboratory. Veliger 11:182–184

    Google Scholar 

  • D′Asaro CN (1970a) Egg capsules of prosobranch mollusks from South Florida and the Bahamas and notes on spawning in the laboratory. Bull Mar Sci 20:414–440

    Google Scholar 

  • D′Asaro CN (1970b) Egg capsules of some prosobranchs from the Pacific coast of Panama. Veliger 13:37–43

    Google Scholar 

  • De Mahieu GC, Penchaszadeh PE, Casal AB (1974) Algunos aspectos de las variaciones de proteinas y aminoacidos libres totales del liquido intracapsular en relacion al desarrollo embrionario en Adelomelon brasiliana (Lamarck, 1811) (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia, Volutidae). Cah Biol Mar 15:215–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan CJ (1960) The evolution of the pulmonate genital system. Proc Zool Soc Lond 134:601–609

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernández M, Pappalardo P, Jeno K (2006) The effects of temperature and oxygen availability on intracapsular development of Acanthina monodon (Gastropoda: Muricidae). Rev Chil Hist Nat 79:155–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franc A (1941) La ponte et le développement des hétéropodes. C R Séances Soc Biol Paris 135:1494–1496

    Google Scholar 

  • Fretter V (1941) The genital ducts of some British Stenoglossan Prosobranchs. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 25:173–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fretter V, Graham A (1962) British prosobranch molluscs. Their functional anatomy and ecology. Ray Society, London

    Google Scholar 

  • George JC, Jura C (1958) A histochemical study of the capsule fluid of the egg of a land snail Succinea putris. Proc K Ned Akad Wet 61:598–603

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Golikov AN (1961) Ecology of reproduction and the nature of egg capsules in some gastropod molluscs of the genus Neptunea (Bolten). Zool Zh 40:997–1008

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham DH (1941) Breeding habits of 22 species of marine molluscs. Trans R Soc N Z 71:152–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins LE, Hutchinson S (1988) Egg capsule structure and hatching mechanism of Ocenebra erinacea (L.) (Prosobranchia: Muricidae). J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 119:269–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt S (1966) Carbohydrate and amino acid composition of the egg capsule of the whelk Buccinum undatum L. Nature 210:436–437

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Knudsen J (1950) Egg capsule size and development of some marine prosobranchs from tropical West Africa. Atl Rep 1:85–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohn AJ (1961) Studies on spawning behaviour, egg masses, and larval development in the genus Conus. I. Observations on nine species in Hawaii. Pac Sci 15:163–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Maeda-Martínez AN (1985) Studies on the physiology of shell formation in molluscan larvae, with special reference to Crepidula fornicata. PhD Thesis. Oceanography Department, Southampton University, UK

  • Miloslavich P, Klein E, Penchaszadeh PE (2003) Reproduction of Crepidula navicula Moerch, 1877 and Crepidula aplysioides Reeve, 1859 (Caenogastropoda) from Morrocoy and La Restinga Lagoon, Venezuela. Nautilus 117:121–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrill JB, Rubin RW, Grandi M (1976) Protein synthesis and differentiation during pulmonate development. Am Zool 16:547–561

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ojeda JA, Chaparro OR (2004) Morphological, gravimetric and biochemical changes in Crepidula fecunda (Gastropoda: Calyptraeidae) egg capsule walls during embryonic development. Mar Biol 144:263–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pechenik JA (1975) The escape of veligers from the egg capsule of Nassarius obsoletus and Nassarius trivittatus (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia). Biol Bull 149:580–589

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ponder WF (1973) The origin and evolution of the Neogastropoda. Malacologia 12:295–338

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prosser CL, Brown FA, Bishop DW, Jahn TH, Wulff VJ (1952) Comparative animal physiology. WB Saunders, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • Radwin GE, Chamberlin JL (1973) Patterns of larval development in stenoglossan gastropods. Trans San Diego Soc Nat Hist 17:107–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramsay JA, Brown RHJ, Croghan PC (1955) Electrometric titration of chloride in small volumes. J Exp Biol 32:822–829

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramsay JA, Brown RHJ (1955) Simplified apparatus and procedure for freezing-point determinations upon small volumes of fluid. J Sci Instrum 32:372–375

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simone LRL, Pastorino G, Penchaszadeh PE (2000) Crepidula argentina (Gastropoda: Calyptraeidae), a new species from the littoral of Argentina. Nautilus 114:127–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Skoog DA, West DM (1971) Principles of instrumental analysis. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Austin

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorson G (1946) Reproduction and larval development of Danish marine bottom invertebrates. Medd Komm Dan Fisk Havund Copenh Ser Plank 4:1–523

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Mar Bermejo 195, Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, BCS, 23090, Mexico

    A. N. Maeda-Martínez

Authors
  1. A. N. Maeda-Martínez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. N. Maeda-Martínez.

Additional information

Communicated by P.W. Sammarco.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Maeda-Martínez, A.N. Osmotic and ionic concentration of the egg capsule fluid of Crepidula fornicata in relation to embryonic development. Mar Biol 154, 643–648 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-008-0957-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-008-0957-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation