Haemoglobin producing cells in freshwater snails

Summary One of the cell types occurring in the connective tissue of gastropods and bivalves is thepore cell. Cells of this type have a characteristic morphology in that their plasmamembrane has many invaginations bridged by cytoplasmic tongues. In the well developed granular endoplasmic reticulum and in these invaginations fine granular material, sometimes arranged in crystalline patterns, is present. InLymnaea stagnalis this material has been identified as haemocyanin on a morphological basis. Histochemical and ultrastructural results on pore cells of 2 snail species(Biomphalaria glabrata, Planorbarius corneus) having haemoglobin in their blood indicate that the pore cells in these species synthesize haemoglobin. Possible other functions of pore cells are briefly discussed.     

Physid snails as sentinels of freshwater nematomorphs.

Freshwater nematomorphs, or gordiids, are parasitic as larvae, but free-living in aquatic environments as adults. Studies based on the collection of adults have reported gordiids to be widespread, but discontinuous in distribution. However, a relatively short adult life span and unknown life history make the detection of adults difficult. An alternative approach to investigate gordiid distribution is to use cysts. Of all paratenic hosts, snails were chosen because they lacked internal defense reactions to the cysts and become easily infected. Here, it is reported that the occurrence of gordiids on the basis of the cyst stage is much more common than previously reported, thus altering the perception of how common these worms are. Using this modified survey procedure, gordiid cysts were found at 70% of sites examined, in an area where extensive sampling over 3 yr yielded adults only at a single site. Of 1,000 snails dissected, 395 were infected with gordiids (intensity range: 1-465). Furthermore, different types of human-modified landscapes did not affect gordiid distribution, suggesting that as urban and suburban areas sprawl, human encounters or pseudoparasitism with nematomorphs may increase. The results of this study indicate that use of organismal-specific sampling techniques can be critical in studies of parasite distribution and biodiversity.     

Biological methods for the control of freshwater snails

As a result of the advent of new drugs and diagnostic techniques, the emphasis in the control of schistosomiasis has changed from snail control to chemotherapy for infected individuals. However, chemotherapy does not prevent reinfection and there remains a need to reduce snail densities in human water supplies. In the past, treatment with molluscicides has proved ineffective, expensive and has had environmental drawbacks. Here, Henry Madsen describes research into alternative methods of snail control. As yet, little is known of the predators and parasites of schistosome intermediate hosts, but such agents could be suitable as biocontrol agents. To date, the most promising results have been obtained from experimental introductions of competitive snail species, but this strategy still has its drawbacks under many environmental conditions and the development of a universal method of biological control for the intermediate hosts of schistosomes is still a long way off.     

Conservation genetics of freshwater fish

Genetic markers have helped to resolve many difficult taxonomic problems and map patterns of diversity within and among remnant populations of threatened and endangered species. Knowledge of historical patterns of gene flow can help to manage dispersal among anthropogenically fragmented populations. Genetic considerations are used in the design of captive breeding programmes that avoid inbreeding depression and artificial selection that may impact on Darwinian fitness. Case studies from endangered populations of topminnows from North American deserts are used to illustrate a variety of methods used in conservation genetic studies. Several merits of studying putatively neutral, molecular markers v. adaptive phenotypic traits are discussed.     

“螺-草”的互利关系

水生态系统中存在螺-草互利现象。然而,植食性螺类与水生植物之间是否存在这种互利关系目前尚无定论。椭圆萝卜螺（肺螺亚纲）与铜锈环棱螺（前腮亚纲）是常见的淡水螺类,其中,椭圆萝卜螺能牧食多种水生植物的活体。通过室外实验,研究了这两种螺类在不同密度条件下对沉水植物（苦草）生长的影响。实验结果表明,低密度的椭圆萝卜螺促进了苦草的生长,螺、草之间存在明显的互利关系,高密度时螺类对苦草植株本身的大量牧食则显著限制了植物的生长。对铜锈环棱螺而言,不同密度的螺类均明显促进了受附生生物胁迫的苦草的生长,螺-草互利关系成立。分析认为,螺-草互利关系的存在是有其限制条件的,对植食性螺类而言,只有在较低的螺类密度条件下才存在这种互利关系。     

Population genetics of tunas

Population genetic studies on tunas are reviewed. These studies have focused on phylogenetic reconstructions, species identifications and stock delineation, and have used tools ranging from blood group and allozyme analysis to PCR-aided examination of mitochondrial DNA variation. Both allozyme and mtDNA approaches show tunas in the genus Thunnus to be very closely related to one another, but also indicate that the two presently recognized subspecies of northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus thynnus and T. t. orientalis , in fact may be worthy of species status. These techniques also permit the unequivocal recognition of specimens, which is not always possible on morphological grounds. However, it is arguable that, until recently, tunas have not received their due attention from geneticists given their commercial significance and the need for information on stock structure to ensure sustainable management. This may be because tunas are known to be highly vagile and therefore levels of population differentiation are expected to be low. None the less, population subdivision has been recorded in several species (skipjack, yellowfin, albacore), although this tends to be on a broad (intra- or inter-oceanic) rather than on a more local scale. New molecular tools, including the PCR-based analyses of nuclear genes and microsatellite loci, are yielding new, highly polymorphic markers, and will enable more powerful analyses of stock structure than have hitherto been possible.     

Perceptual scales of spatial heterogeneity of periphyton for freshwater snails

The hypothesis that individuals recognize their environment as homogeneous when the scales of spatial heterogeneity of resources are smaller than a certain scale, but can distinguish them as patches when they are larger than that scale was tested using freshwater snails ( Physa acuta ) in various distributions in periphyton environments. In a pattern of periphyton distribution in which the size of algal cells was 47 mm, individuals moved significantly more slowly on algal cells than on nonalgal cells. However, in other patterns in which the sizes of algal cells were 23.5 mm and 15.7 mm, the speeds of individuals on algal and nonalgal cells were not significantly different. These results support the hypothesis that individuals use the environment homogeneously when the scales of spatial heterogeneity of resources are smaller than a certain scale, but they can distinguish between patches when the scales are larger.     

Population genetics of Dagestan highlanders

Subdivision of some isolates and heterogenic populations in Daghestan is analysed by human gene and phen frequencies. Comparative population study of phenotypic variability of quantitative characters (anthropometric, neurodynamic and psychodynamic) is carried out. Common hierarchy of variability for all populations as well as an effect of inbreeding and panmixis on variability of the above-mentioned quantitative characters in different populations is demonstrated.