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Prodissoconch morphology of the relict marine paleoheterodont Neotrigonia margaritacea (Mollusca: Bivalvia) indicates a non-planktotrophic prejuvenile ontogeny

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2000

Diarmaid O'Foighil
Affiliation:
Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079, USA
Daniel L. Graf
Affiliation:
Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079, USA

Abstract

Trigonioids represent the most plausible marine outgroup for freshwater palaeoheterodonts, yet details of their early ontogeny are scant. We utilized museum specimens and scanning electron microscopy to characterize the prodissoconch structure of the ‘living fossil’ Neotrigonia margaritacea. This species produces a large inflated prejuvenile shell (mean length ±SD=664±16.9 μm, N=8) that lacks both an umbone and a prodissoconch II. It is concluded that N. margaritacea does not rely on planktotrophy to fuel its prejuvenile ontogeny.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2000 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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