3D-reconstruction of the freshwater snail Borysthenia naticina, Menke 1845 (Heterobranchia: Valvatidae) with a closer look on the genital system.
4. Graduiertenforum der Fachgruppe Morphologie der DZG, München, abstracts
Authors/Editors: |
Heß M Colling M Haszprunar G |
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Publication Date: | 2011 |
For detailed analysis of the genital tract and other structures, we used 3D surface and volume rendering techniques using AMIRA® based on histological semi-thin slices. This method suits perfectly for small and twisted animals like gastropods. For a detailed view on fertilization and development Borysthenia naticina was investi¬gated in two different stages (juvenile and adult) so it was possible to create a 3D-study over time. As in all valvatids a taenioglossate radula can be found and we provide the first SEM-photos of the radula, for Borysthenia naticina to complete the description of this poorly known species.
With this work the detailed description of a second valvatid genus aside of Valvata could be completed. Future research of our group will focus on other ectobranch families, as happened with the still rhipidoglossate Hyalogyrinidae (Haszprunar et al. 2011), to aim a complete morphological and perhaps molecular survey of this early heterobranch offshoot.