Abstract
Nucella (=Thais) lapillus (L.) develops to the juvenile stage within an egg capsule. This study was undertaken to investigate nutritive and bacteriostatic properties of the intracapsular fluid for this species. Capsules were collected intertidally at Nahant, Massachusetts, USA, in the summers of 1982 and 1983. The average capsule contained only 1.1 μl of intracapsular fluid per embryo. A statistically significant correlation was observed between capsule height and number of developing embryos contained therein, although the number of embryos per capsule was more closely related to capsule volume. Total dry weight of encapsulated, shelled embryos increased exponentially as a function of shell length. However, weight increases may be entirely due to shell calcification; the average dry tissue weight of shelled embryos was significantly below that for pre-shelled individuals, suggesting a net loss of biomass during development. Aliquots of intracapsular fluid failed to inhibit the growth of the 13 bacterial strains tested. Despite the above results, pre-shelled embryos generally survived only several days following their premature removal from egg capsules at 12°C. Shelled veligers were reared outside of the capsules with no apparent ill effects. An explanation for these survivorship results is elusive.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Bayne, C. J.: Histochemical studies on the egg capsules of eight gastropod molluscs. Proc. malac. Soc. Lond. 38, 199–212 (1968)
Cather, J. N. and M. E. Crovo: The spawn, early development and larvae of Cyphoma gibbosum (Cypraeacea). Nautilus 85, 111–114 (1972)
Clark, K. B., M. Busacca, and H. Stirts: Nutritional aspects of development of the ascoglossan Elysia cauze. In: Reproductive ecology of marine invertebrates, pp 11–24. Ed. by S. E. Stancyk. Columbia: University of Carolina Press 1979
Costello, D. P. and C. Henley: Methods for obtaining and handling marine eggs and embryos, 2nd ed. 247 pp. Woods Hole, Massachusetts: Marine Biological Laboratory 1971
Davis, R. W., D. Botstein and J. R. Roth: Advanced bacterial genetics, 251 pp. Cold Spring Harbor, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 1980
De Mahieu, G. C., P. E. Penchaszadeh y A. B. Casal: Algunos aspectos de las variaciones de proteínas y aminoacidos libres totales del líquido intracapsular en relación al desarrollo embrionario en Adelomelon brasiliana (Lamarck, 1811) (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia, Volutidae). Cah. Biol. mar. 15, 215–277 (1974)
Fretter, V.: The genital ducts of some British stenoglossan prosobranchs. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 25, 173–211 (1941)
Gallardo, C. S.: Developmental pattern and adaptations for reproduction in Nucella crassilabrum and other muricacean gastropods. Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 157, 453–463 (1979)
Gerhardt, P., R. G. E. Murray, R. N. Costlow, E. W. Nester, W. A. Wood, N. R. Krieg and G. B. Phillips: Manual of methods for general bacteriology, 524 pp. Washington, D.C.: American Society of Microbiology 1981
Giese, A. C. and J. S. Pearse: Introduction and general principles. In: Reproduction of marine invertebrates. Vol. I. Acoelomate and pseudocoelomate metazoans, pp 1–49. Ed. by A. C. Giese and J. S. Pearse: New York: Academic Press 1974
Harrison, C.: The essential amino acids of Mytilus californianus. Veliger 18, 189–193 (1975)
Hunter, R. D. and W. W. Lull: A comparison of two methods for estimating the weight of inorganic materials in molluscs. Malac. Rev. 9, 118–120 (1976)
Hyman, L. H.: The invertebrates: Mollusca I, 792 pp. New York: McGraw-Hill 1967
Langdon, C. J.: Growth studies with bacteria-free oyster (Crassostrea gigas) larvae fed on semi-defined artificial diets. Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 164, 227–235 (1983)
Manahan, D. T. and D. J. Crisp: The role of dissolved organic material in the nutrition of pelagic larvae: amino acid uptake by bivalve veligers. Am. Zool. 22, 635–646 (1982)
Paine, R. T.: Ash and calorie determination of sponge and opisthobranch tissues. Ecology 45, 384–387 (1964)
Pechenik, J. A.: Growth and energy balance during the larval lives of three prosobranch gastropods. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 44, 1–28 (1980)
Pechenik, J. A.: Ability of some gastropod egg capsules to protect against low-salinity stress. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 63, 195–208 (1982)
Pechenik, J. A.: Egg capsules of Nucella lapillus (L.) protect against low-salinity stress. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 71, 165–179 (1983)
Pechenik, J. A.: The relationship between temperature, growth rate, and duration of planktonic life for larvae of the gastropod, Crepidula fornicata. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. (in press)
Penchaszadeh, P. E. y G. G. De Mahieu: Reproduccion de gasteropodos prosobranquios del Atlantico suroccidental. Volutidae. Physis, B. Aires (Secc. A) 35, 145–153 (1976)
Perron, F. E.: Inter- and intraspecific patterns of reproductive effort in four species of cone shells (Conus spp.). Mar. Biol. 68, 161–167 (1982)
Ramasubramaniam, K.: A histochemical study of the secretions of reproductive glands and of the egg envelopes of Achatina fulica (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora). Int. J. Invertebrate Reprod. (Amsterdam) 1, 333–346 (1979)
Raven, C. P.: Chemical embryology of Mollusca. In: Chemical zoology. Vol. VII. Mollusca, pp 155–185. Ed. by M. Florkin and B. T. Scheer. New York: Academic Press 1972
Rivest, B. R.: Nurse egg consumption and the uptake of albumen in the embryonic nutrition of marine snails, 185 pp. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Washington 1981
Rivest, B. R.: Development and the influence of nurse egg allotment on hatching size in Searlesia dira (Reeve, 1846) (Prosobranchia: Buccinidae). J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 69, 217–241 (1983)
Spight, T. M.: Hatching size and the distribution of nurse eggs among prosobranch embryos. Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 150, 491–499 (1976)
Spight, T. M.: Is Thais canaliculata (Gastropoda: Muricidae) evolving nurse eggs? Nautilus 91, 74–76 (1977)
Spight, T. M.: Stress and survival of gastropod embryos that feed on nurse eggs. Ecosynthesis 1, 153–176 (1981)
Spight, T. M., C. Birkeland and A. Lyons: Life histories of large and small murexes (Prosobranchia: Muricidae). Mar. Biol. 24, 229–242 (1974)
Tamarin, A. and M. R. Carriker: The egg capsule of the muricid gastropod Urosalpinx cinerea: an integrated study of the wall by ordinary light, polarized light, and electron microscopy. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 21, 26–40 (1968)
Taylor, H. H.: The ionic properties of the capsular fluid bathing embryos of Lymnaea stagnalis and Biomphalaria sudanica (Mollusca: Pulmonata). J. exp. Biol. 59, 543–564 (1973)
Thorson, G.: Reproduction and larval development of Danish marine bottom invertebrates. Meddr Kommn Danm. Fisk.-og Havunders. (Ser. Plankton) 4, 1–523 (1946)
Thorson, G.: Reproductive and larval ecology of marine bottom invertebrates. Biol. Rev. 25, 1–45 (1950)
Webber, H. H.: Gastropoda: Prosobranchia. In: Reproduction of marine invertebrates. Vol. IV. Molluscs: gastropods and cephalopods, pp 1–97. Ed. by A. C. Giese and J. S. Pearse. New York: Academic Press 1977
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by S. K. Pierce, College Park
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pechenik, J.A., Chang, S.C. & Lord, A. Encapsulated development of the marine prosobranch gastropod Nucella lapillus . Mar. Biol. 78, 223–229 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394705
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394705