Ontogeny of juvenile freshwater pearl mussels, Margaritifera margaritifera (Bivalvia: Margaritiferidae).

ABSTRACT: The gills of juvenile freshwater bivalves undergo a complex morphogenesis that may correlate with changes in feeding ecology, but ontogenic studies on juvenile mussels are rare. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the ultrastructure and ontogeny of 117 juvenile freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) ranging in age from 1-44 months and length from 0.49-8.90 mm. Three stages of gill development are described. In Stage 1 (5-9 inner demibranch filaments), only unreflected inner demibranch filaments were present. In Stage 2 (9-17 inner demibranch filaments), inner demibranch filaments began to reflect when shell length exceeded 1.13 mm, at 13-16 months old. Reflection began in medial filaments and then proceeded anterior and posterior. In Stage 3 (28-94 inner demibr

SUBMITTER: Lavictoire L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5873991 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature