Changes in organic storage compounds during the active and inactive periods in a desert snail, Sphincterochila prophetarum

Steinberger, Yosef; Grossman, Shlomo; Dubinsky, Zvi

doi:10.1016/0300-9629(82)90364-4

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…He suggested that snails regulate their water budget through metabolic pathways by oxidation of storage substrates that contribute extra metabolic water. Steinberger, Grossman & Dubinsky (1982) have calculated that in Sphincterochila prophetarum, metabolic water contribution to the total water content is about 8% during aestivation and partly compensates for the summer water loss. The revealed changes in the msh/mdb ratio in the present study are in accord with the above suggestion that storage substrates are used during aestivation, as shell mass remained unchanged during summer while dry body mass decreased.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogeny of resistance to desiccation in the bush‐dwelling snail Theba pisana (Helicidae)

Arad

Avivi

1998

Journal of Zoology

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The distribution of the bush-dwelling snail Theba pisana (Helicidae) in Israel is restricted to the coastal plain. It is known as an annual semelparous species, but recent studies revealed that part of the population has a biennial life cycle.The present study examined the water economy and resistance to desiccation throughout the life cycle under natural conditions in the ®eld, and by exposing samples of various size (age) groups to three weeks of laboratory desiccation during various seasons.We found that resistance to desiccation in Theba pisana is age-dependent as young snails lost more water than adults during desiccation. In general, high rates of water loss during desiccation were noted in growing snails during winter and spring, and low rates were recorded during the summer aestivation in all age groups. A small part of the natural population ceased growing and entered an early aestivation, thereby avoiding the otherwise high rates of water loss.We conclude that resistance to desiccation is entrained in the annual life cycle of T. pisana and that survival under natural desiccating conditions depends on the maturation, and on the ontogenetic development of the water preserving mechanisms. The age-dependent water economy of the snail dictates the timing of aestivation and the establishment of a new set-point which is re¯ected in the clustering behaviour, secretion of a calcareous epiphragm, and a selective compartmentalization of body¯uids.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogeny of resistance to desiccation in the bush‐dwelling snail Theba pisana (Helicidae)

Arad

Avivi

1998

Journal of Zoology

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“…The unusually high rates found in the studies by Cameron (1970) and Heatwole & Heatwole (1978) Yom-Tov, 1971b;Schmidt-Nielsen et al, 1971) and Trochoidea seetzeni (Yom-Tov, 1971b) This implies that a significant proportion of the weight loss is due to loss in dry weight. Steinberger et al (1982) measured a dry weight loss of ca . 0.014$ of the wet weight (with shell) per day in S. prophetarum in the laboratory.…”

Section: The Adaptive Value Of Shell Morphology In Relation To Moisturementioning

confidence: 99%

Clinal variation and natural selection in the land snail Pleurodonte lucerna in western St. Ann Parish, Jamaica

Goodfriend¹

1983

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Zoological Museum, Copenhagen), and Dr. Claude Vaucher (Museum of Natural History, Geneva) provided material of the Pleurodonte lucerna complex for study. Dr. Richard M. Mitterer carried out amino acid racemization analyses on subfossil _P. lucerna shells. Dr. Alan Solem originally suggested the P_. lucerna complex as an interesting group of beasts to study. Dr. Arthur J. Cain provided helpful comments on an earlier draft. Field work was supported by grants from the Alexander Bache Fund (National Academy of Sciences) and the Sigma Xi Society.

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“…During this period snails form an epiphragm, which is related to the reduction of water loss (Machin, 1975;Barnhart, 1983;Cook, 2001). Though snail physiology during aestivation has been studied extensively (Steinberger, Grossman & Dubinsky, 1982;Fields, 1992;Pedler et al, 1996;Porcel, Bueno & Almendros, 1996;Withers et al, 1997;Stuart, Ooi & Ballantyne, 1998;Pakay et al, 2002;Michaelidis et al, 2007;Nowakowska et al, 2009), only a few studies have been conducted with naturally aestivating animals in the field (Arad & Avivi, 1998;Giokas, Pafilis & Valakos, 2005;Giokas et al, 2007;Nowakowska, Caputa & Rogalska, 2010;Nicolai et al, 2011); in most studies aestivation was triggered under laboratory conditions. Therefore, study of seasonal physiological/biochemical patterns in relation to aspects of behavioural ecology in natural snail populations should be useful for understanding functional aspects of biochemistry and behaviour.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of the physiological responses of two land snail species with different distributional ranges

Kotsakiozi

Pafilis

Giokas

et al. 2012

Journal of Molluscan Studies

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Land snails usually exhibit cycles of activity and dormancy (aestivation or hibernation). The transition between these two states is accompanied by a range of behavioural and physiological responses to ensure their survival under adverse environmental conditions. Furthermore, aestivation plays an important role in shaping species' distribution patterns. We examined the seasonal patterns in biochemical tissue composition in relation to aspects of behavioural ecology in three land snail populations: one mainland and one insular population of the widespread Helix aspersa and a population (sympatric with the latter) of Helix figulina, a congeneric species with a narrow and declining distribution. Helix figulina aestivates in underground borrows, while H. aspersa spends the summer under stones and may interrupt aestivation when conditions become favourable. Prior to aestivation H. figulina accumulates metabolic fuels, which it consumes later during summer, and at the same time loses substantial body water and increases lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. The insular H. aspersa population follows a similar pattern (regarding metabolites and LDH activity), with the difference that water loss is limited. However, the mainland population of H. aspersa deviates from this model with energy metabolites and water levels showing little variation throughout the year, while LDH activity is reduced. These differences probably reflect the particular behavioural and physiological patterns adopted by each species. The specialist and range-restricted H. figulina shows a constant and more predictable seasonal pattern, which may be effective for surviving in its historical biogeographic range, but it seems to be more vulnerable to possibly changing environmental conditions. On the other hand the generalist and cosmopolitan H. aspersa adopts a more flexible pattern that compensates for the effects of adverse conditions during aestivation and permits a more effective exploitation of energy resources.

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Changes in organic storage compounds during the active and inactive periods in a desert snail, Sphincterochila prophetarum

Cited by 10 publications

References 10 publications

Ontogeny of resistance to desiccation in the bush‐dwelling snail Theba pisana (Helicidae)

Ontogeny of resistance to desiccation in the bush‐dwelling snail Theba pisana (Helicidae)

Clinal variation and natural selection in the land snail Pleurodonte lucerna in western St. Ann Parish, Jamaica

A comparison of the physiological responses of two land snail species with different distributional ranges

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