ABSTRACT. The surface morphology of the ctenidia of Spondylus spinosus Schreibers, 1793 was studied with light and scanning electron microscopy for comparison with the gill structures of other bivalves. The demibranch of S. spinosus is heterorhabdic, with the principal filaments at the descending lamellae and ordinary filaments at the ascending lamellae. The gill lamellae have a prominent gauze-like structure at their distal part, with numerous groups of eight ordinary filaments. They bear ciliary arrays on their frontal surfaces and ostia at their latero-frontal surfaces. Frequent cirral plates form regular interfilamentary junctions. The description of the gill structure of S. spinosus presented here can be used to derive implications for the correlations among the structure, habitat and mode of life of this species. At a particular stage of its adult life, Spondylus spinosus could be used as a subject for biomonitoring studies in natural and experimental environments.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.