94
Views
6
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Environment-specific shell shape variation in the boring mytilid Leiosolenus patagonicus

ORCID Icon, &
Pages 246-252 | Received 16 Jun 2016, Accepted 11 Oct 2016, Published online: 09 Jan 2017
 

ABSTRACT

Environmental conditions induce phenotypic responses (behavioural, morphological and physiological) in many marine species. The boring mytilid Leiosolenus patagonicus inhabits different types of substrata, such as sandstone intertidal and hard subtidal substrata (here called ‘lifeless-substratum’) and shells of bivalve species (here called ‘live-substratum’), where they are exposed to different restrictions in their growth. We used geometric morphometric methods to compare the contour shell shapes from each type of substratum (live and lifeless) since we expected the body shape to differ between individuals from these different substrata. The results showed that the shell shape depends on the type of substratum where the larvae recruit. The mean shell shapes of individuals from the live-substratum are more slender than those of the individuals growing inside the lifeless-substratum. Individuals from live-substratum can adapt their phenotype depending on the oyster’s anti-parasitism responses, while in lifeless-substratum they are able to build their own refuges.

RESPONSIBLE EDITOR:

Acknowledgements

The fieldwork was conducted in a Protected Natural Area of Chubut Province with permits from the Secretaría de Turismo y Areas Protegidas.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Financial support was provided by ANPCyT, PICT 2013–2582 (NV) and PICT 3696 (FM). This is publication #80 of the Laboratorio de Reproducción y Biología Integrativa de Invertebrados Marinos (LARBIM).

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 61.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 158.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.