Is it sex in chains? Potential mating stacks in deep-sea hydrothermal vent snails
Is it sex in chains? Potential mating stacks in deep-sea hydrothermal vent snails
“Mating stacks” have been widely documented in calyptraeid slipper limpets, which are protandric and exhibit sequential hermaphroditism. Gigantopelta is a genus of peltospirid snails endemic to deep-sea hydrothermal vents containing two species, one distributed on the East Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean and another on the Southwest Indian Ridge in the Indian Ocean. Here, we report the observation that both species form extensive (often >15 individuals) “snail chains”. These chains are potentially analogous to ‘mating stacks’ of calyptraeids, or alternatively, maybe a behaviour to facilitate spermatophore transfer. Both Gigantopelta species apparently have separate sexes and are sexually mature at a small size. However, it remains unclear whether they undergo sex change during their life.
Chemosynthetic ecosystems, Gastropoda, Hermaphroditism, Mollusca, Neomphalina
25-27
Chen, Chong
3faad3e1-b898-4f4b-b418-9c1736e53f95
Marsh, Leigh
b9d089aa-91e4-4a2e-b716-a7352616c6a2
Copley, Jonathan T.
5f30e2a6-76c1-4150-9a42-dcfb8f5788ef
28 February 2018
Chen, Chong
3faad3e1-b898-4f4b-b418-9c1736e53f95
Marsh, Leigh
b9d089aa-91e4-4a2e-b716-a7352616c6a2
Copley, Jonathan T.
5f30e2a6-76c1-4150-9a42-dcfb8f5788ef
Chen, Chong, Marsh, Leigh and Copley, Jonathan T.
(2018)
Is it sex in chains? Potential mating stacks in deep-sea hydrothermal vent snails.
Plankton and Benthos Research, 13 (1), .
(doi:10.3800/pbr.13.25).
Abstract
“Mating stacks” have been widely documented in calyptraeid slipper limpets, which are protandric and exhibit sequential hermaphroditism. Gigantopelta is a genus of peltospirid snails endemic to deep-sea hydrothermal vents containing two species, one distributed on the East Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean and another on the Southwest Indian Ridge in the Indian Ocean. Here, we report the observation that both species form extensive (often >15 individuals) “snail chains”. These chains are potentially analogous to ‘mating stacks’ of calyptraeids, or alternatively, maybe a behaviour to facilitate spermatophore transfer. Both Gigantopelta species apparently have separate sexes and are sexually mature at a small size. However, it remains unclear whether they undergo sex change during their life.
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Accepted/In Press date: 18 November 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 February 2018
Published date: 28 February 2018
Keywords:
Chemosynthetic ecosystems, Gastropoda, Hermaphroditism, Mollusca, Neomphalina
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 421599
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/421599
ISSN: 1880-8247
PURE UUID: fd8bebf3-a603-463d-87bd-48c24062f5b0
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Date deposited: 15 Jun 2018 16:31
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:40
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Author:
Chong Chen
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