ISSN : 1225-3480
Boring behaviour and drilling mechanism were investigated by visual observations. In this study, of two kinds of holes (the outer and inner holes) which are formed by drilling of boring gastropod Lunatia fortunei (Naticidae), the diameters of the outer holes are broader and larger than those of the inner holes, and their holes look like the crater in shape, as seen in all valves of bivalves bored by Naticidae species. Two kinds of glands (the accessory boring gland and accessory salivary gland) on the foots of boring gastropods have been investigated. Of them, it has been confirmed that only the accessory salivary glands on the foots secreted sulphuric (acidic) components in the mucus (secretion), while the accessory boring glands on the foots did not secrete their components. In this study, we confirmed that L. fortunei possess the accessory boring gland on the foot, as seen in most species in Naticidae. The results of the experiment of the blue litmus paper tests of the mucus (secretions) secreted from the accessory boring gland showed that the color of the blue litmus paper did not turn red in color because chemical components of mucus (secretion) secreted from the accessory boring gland on the foot of L. fortunei (boring gastropod) were not acidic components. It is supposed that the mucus, which is secreted from the accessory boring gland, contained gelatin-like substances or enzymes without acidic components, as already reported in Naticidae species. Therefore, these substances may be involved in softening the surface of the valves of M. veneriformis. Consequently, L. fortunei drilled holes through the shells of molluscs by means of following 3 methods: (1) a softening of the calcareous shells of M. veneriformis with chemical secretions (including gellatin-like substances or enzyme except for acidic components) from the accessory boring glands, (2) mechanical rasping with the radula, (3) a combination of both. In this study, particularly, acidic components, which are involved in softening the surface of the shells, are not associated with the boring mechanism of L. fortunei because chemical acidic components were not detected in the mucus (secretion), as found in Naticidae species.
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