The Zooxanthellal Tubular System in the Giant Clam

The Zooxanthellal Tubular System in the Giant Clam

Giant clams (family Tridacnidae) are special in that they contain large numbers of symbiotic dinoflagellates, Symbiodinium sp., commonly called zooxanthellae which live in the clam's siphonal mantle (hypertrophied siphonal tissues) (1) and are important in its nutrition (2, 3). In 1946, Mansour...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Biological bulletin (Lancaster) Vol. 183; no. 3; pp. 503 - 506
Main Authors: Norton, John H., Shepherd, Malcolm A., Long, Helen M., Fitt, William K.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Woods Hole, MA Marine Biological Laboratory 01-12-1992
University of Chicago Press
Subjects:
Algae
Anatomy & physiology
Animal and plant ecology
Animal organs
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Clams
Connective tissues
Digestion
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hemolymph
Kidneys
Marine
Nutrition
Protozoa. Invertebrata
Research Notes
Shellfish
Stomach
Stomach diverticulum
Symbiodinium
Symbiosis
Tridacna gigas
Marine environment
Symbiosis
Symbionte
Siphon
Bivalvia
Digestive system
Algae
Pyrrophycophyta
Invertebrata
Mollusca
Thallophyta
Feeding
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Giant clams (family Tridacnidae) are special in that they contain large numbers of symbiotic dinoflagellates, Symbiodinium sp., commonly called zooxanthellae which live in the clam's siphonal mantle (hypertrophied siphonal tissues) (1) and are important in its nutrition (2, 3). In 1946, Mansour (4) partially described a tubular system arising from the clam stomach, extending into the mantle and containing zooxanthellae. However, the eminent scientist Sir Maurice Yonge (5, 6) disputed its existence. Subsequently, Yonge's views appear to have suppressed further investigations of Mansour's observations. The zooxanthellae have been universally regarded as living in the hemal spaces of the mantle (2, 5, 7, 8, 9). This study, however, has conhrmed the presence of the tubular system indicated by Mansour and has shown that the zooxanthellae live within a branched, tubular structure that has no direct connection with the hemolymph. The existence of this tubular system has important implications for our understanding of the symbiosis between tridacnids and their symbiotic algae.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0006-3185
1939-8697
DOI:10.2307/1542028