The phylum Mollusca is one of the major groups of Lophotrochozoa. Although mollusks exhibit great morphological diversity, only a few comparative embryological studies have been performed on this group. In the present study, to begin understanding the molecular development of the diverse morphology among mollusks, we observed early embryogenesis in a bivalve, the Japanese spiny oyster, Saccostr...

Since 1991, numerous herpesvirus infections associated with high mortality have been reported around the world in various marine bivalve species. In order to determine whether these infections are due to ostreid herpesvirus-1 (OsHV1), a previously characterized pathogen of the Japanese oyster (Crassostrea gigas), PCR analysis was carried out on 30 samples of larvae collected from four bivalve s...

There is only one exception to strict maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the animal kingdom: a system named doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI), which is found in several bivalve species. Why and how such a radically different system of mitochondrial transmission evolved in bivalve remains obscure. Obtaining a more complete taxonomic distribution of DUI in the Bivalvia may he...

Background: Arcotheres purpureus, a species of pea crab has been reported from the Red Sea, Maldives and Andaman Sea with no description of the male. According to existing literature the single host for this species is Ostrea. Methods: The specimens examined were obtained from the dredge hauls. Results: In the present study we report Arcotheres purpureus for the first time from the coastal wate...

Emerging diseases pose a recurrent threat to bivalve aquaculture. Recently, massive mortality events in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas associated with the detection of a microvariant of the ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1µVar) have been reported in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Although the spread of disease is often viewed as a governance failure, we suggest that the development of pr...

The Mg/Ca ratios of biogenic calcite is commonly seen as a valuable palaeo-proxy for reconstructing past ocean temperatures. The temperature dependence of Mg/Ca ratios in bivalve calcite has been the subject of contradictory observations. The palaeoceanographic use of a geochemical proxy is dependent on initial, rigorous calibration and validation of relationships between the proxy and the ambi...

Distribution of molluscs in the eastern part of the Persian Gulf were studied during the PG-GOOS cruise (Oct-Nov 2012), using the 250 cm2 Van Veen grab for sampling. Sixty gastropod and 23 bivalve taxa in addition to one scaphopod taxon were identified. Gastropods constituted 80% of molluscs. The abundance of molluscs averaged 1398.36 (±261.95) ind./m2. Costellaria sp. was the most abundant ...

Despite easy access to bivalves, few studies have examined the development of these animals, at least in part because most bivalve eggs are very small. In addition, annotating cells of the early bivalve embryo is difficult because few landmarks are present. We conducted detailed cell annotations of the Japanese purple mussel, Septifer virgatus, during early embryogenesis because of its relative...

Responses of benthic macrofauna and epibenthic predators / sediment disturbers to controlled 22 2 density (0, 12, 120, 600 and 1200 individuals m ) and patch size (0.25, 1.0 and 9.0 m ) manipulations of the venerid bivalve Austrovenus stutchburyi (Gray) were examined on an 22 intertidal sandflat. Bivalve density manipulations greater than 600 m had a mixed influence on macrofauna colonisation; ...

Industrial aquaculture wastewater contains large quantities of suspended particles that can be easily broken down physically. Introduction of macro-bio-filters, such as bivalve filter feeders, may offer the potential for treatment of fine suspended matter in industrial aquaculture wastewater. In this study, we employed two kinds of bivalve filter feeders, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas an...