• Main Authors: Lyudmila P. Flyachinskaya, Peter A. Lesin
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: White Sea
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.604.6153; http://www.zin.ru/kartesh/articles/bivalve reconstruction.pdf

Bivalve larvae are one of the most important components of the plank-tonic community. The success of ecological and hydrobiological investiga-tions depends to a large extent on a precise identification of these plankton animals. However, identification of bivalve larvae and early post-larvae has been extremely difficult. In spite of some classic descriptions of Bivalvia development and their larvae morphology (Lebour, 1938; Jørgensen, 1946; Rees, 1950; Lutz et al., 1982) exact larval identification is still a laborious process. Scanning electron microscopy is the most informative method of inves-tigation of shell at present. But this method has some defects such as im-practicability in field conditions and high cost. In using light microscope there is the danger of distortion during photography as a result of incorrect orientation of shell on glass slide. All these complexities and apparent difficulties explain why complete descriptions of shell development for many species are absent. The present study deals with using of three-dimensional computer reconstruction in the investigations of larvae shells. Material and methods Investigations were carried out at the White Sea Biological Station of