Oysters are economically and ecologically important bivalves, with its calcareous shell and delicious meat. The shell composition is a blend of inorganic crystals and shell proteins that form an organic matrix which protects the soft inner tissue of the oyster. The objective of the study was to compare the composition of organic matrix proteins (OMP) of two phylogenetically related species: the...

Oysters, with high levels of phenotypic plasticity and wide geographic distribution, are a challenging group for taxonomists and phylogenetics. Our study is intended to generate new EST-SNP markers and to evaluate their potential for cross-species utilization in phylogenetic study of the genus Crassostrea. In the study, 57 novel SNPs were developed from an EST database of C. gigas by the HRM (h...

At present, over 300 species of marine alien Mollusca are reported from the European waters (Streftaris et al. 2005; Zenetos et al. 2010). However, only three alien polyplacophoran have been recorded: Chaetopleura angulata (Spengler, 1797), Acanthopleura gemmata (Blainville, 1825) and Chiton hululensis (E. A. Smith, 1903); the latter is considered as “questionable” (Zenetos et al. 2010). These ...

In order to determine if ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) can be vertically transmitted, 9 full-sib families of the Portuguese oyster Crassostrea angulata were produced using a factorial mating design with 3 males and 3 females. The parents were survivors from an OsHV-1 mortality outbreak. OsHV-1 DNA was not detected by conventional PCR in the mantle of parents, gametes or 3day-old larvae. Howeve...

The article describes a new rove beetle species, Thiasophila szujeckii sp. n., in southeastern Poland. This new species is associated exclusively with Formica truncorum. The authors describe its sexual dimorphism of habitus, structure of antennae, eighth abdominal tergite and eighth sternite. T. szujeckii sp. n. shares most morphological features with T. angulata and T. lohsei known in Europe. ...