Anatomy and behavior of Laternula elliptica, a keystone species of the Antarctic benthos (Bivalvia: Anomalodesmata: Laternulidae). ...

• Main Authors: Passos, Flávio Dias, Sartori, André Fernando, Domaneschi, Osmar, Bieler, Rüdiger
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PeerJ 2022
• Subjects: Anatomy; Antarctica; Bivalve; Field observation; Histology; Mollusca; Morphology; Musculature; Pallial organs; Siphons; Animals; Antarctic Regions; Bivalvia; Cell Movement; Communication; Brazil; Antarctic; Ferraz; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17863/cam.93045; https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/345624

Laternula elliptica (P. P. King, 1832) is the sole representative of the anomalodesmatan family Laternulidae and the largest bivalve in the Antarctic and Subantarctic. A keystone species of the regional benthic communities, it has reached model status, having been studied in hundreds of scientific works across many biological disciplines. In contrast, its anatomy has remained poorly known, with prior published data limited to partial descriptions based on chemically preserved specimens. Based on observations of aquarium-maintained living animals at the Brazilian Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station, gross-morphological dissections, and histological sectioning, the comparative anatomy, functional morphology, and aspects of behavior of L. elliptica are described and discussed. Special focus is placed on the pallial organs (including elucidation of cleansing and feeding sorting mechanisms in the mantle cavity) and the musculature. Among the noteworthy findings are the presence of well-developed siphons furnished ...