| Abstract: | This is a comparative study of the righting behavior of 59 species of marine prosobranch gastropods. All but a few species examined are able to right by pulling on the substrate with their foot. Some gastropods also are capable of kicking (with the operculum) or thrusting (without the use of the operculum) the metapodium against the substrate to right. Kick and thrust righting appear to be restricted to those gastropods which exhibit similar or identical movements in escape from molluscivorous asteroids and/or gastropods. It is inferred, therefore, that these movements arose primarily in the context of escape. This is supported by more refined comparisons where some closely related, ecologically similar gastropods which differ with respect to escape and righting behaviors are examined. |
