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Short Note: Circumpolar distribution of the pycnogonid-ectoparasitic gastropod Dickdellia labioflecta (Dell, 1990) (Mollusca: Zerotulidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2008

Stefano Schiaparelli*
Affiliation:
Museo Nazionale dell'Antartide (MNA), Università di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV n° 5, Genova I-16132, Italy
Marco Oliverio
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo, Università La Sapienza, Viale dell'Università 32, Roma I-00185, Italy
Marco Taviani
Affiliation:
Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR), CNR, Via Gobetti 101, Bologna I-40129, Italy
Huw Griffiths
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
Anne-Nina Lörz
Affiliation:
NIWA National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, Greta Point, Wellington, New Zealand
Giancarlo Albertelli
Affiliation:
Dipartimento per lo Studio del Territorio e delle sue Risorse (Dip.Te.Ris.), Università di Genova, C.so Europa 26, Genova I-16132, Italy

Extract

The Antarctic gastropod Dickdellia labioflecta (Dell, 1990) (originally described as Laevilittorina (Corneolittorina) labioflecta) is an obligate parasite of pycnogonids, which exploits their body fluids through the cuticular gland holes (Lehmann et al. 2007) and lays its eggs on the pycnogonid's legs where embryos complete their life cycle (Hedgpeth 1964, Sirenko 2000, Lehmann et al. 2007). The ecology of D. labioflecta appears to be unique, as no other examples of such a specialized parasitic behaviour on pycnogonids are known. This life-style and the related anatomical specializations (gut and digestive gland morphology), prompted the erection of a new genus, Dickdellia Warén & Hain, 1996 provisionally included in the family Zerotulidae (Warén & Hain 1996). Although information is quite scant, to date, two pycnogonid host species are known for Dickdellia: Colossendeis megalonyx megalonyx Fry & Hedgpeth, 1969 (Lehmann et al. 2007) and Nymphon isabellae Turpaeva, 2000 (Sirenko 2000).

Type
Biological Sciences
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2008

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