Abstract
Solenogastres are vermiform marine molluscs characterised by an aculiferous mantle, a longitudinal ventral pedal groove and a terminal or subterminal pallial cavity. Their classification is based in part on the type of mantle sclerites, but identification to even the family level generally requires the study of internal anatomical characters. Taxonomically important internal characters include those related to radular structure, the type of ventrolateral glandular organs of the pharynx and the reproductive system, among others. In order to study their internal anatomical organisation, according to the classical reconstruction method, serial histological sections of specimens are made, from which the 2D internal anatomy of the specimen can be reconstructed manually. However, this is a time-consuming technique that results in destruction of the specimen. Computed microtomography or micro-CT is a non-destructive technique based on the measurement of the attenuation of X-rays as they pass through a specimen. Micro-CT is faster than histology for studying internal anatomy and it is non-destructive, meaning that specimens may be used for e.g., DNA extraction or retained as intact vouchers. In this paper, the utility of micro-CT for studying taxonomically important internal anatomical structures was assessed. Results of the 3D anatomical study of the soft parts of four specimens of three species using micro-CT are presented: Proneomenia sluiteriHubrecht, 1880, Dorymenia menchuescribanaeGarcía-Álvarez et al., 2000 and Anamenia gorgonophilaKowalevsky, 1880. Micro-CT enabled detailed study of most taxonomically important anatomical characters, precise measurements of structures, and observation of the relative position of organs from a variety of angles. However, it was not possible to observe the radula and some details of the ventral foregut organs could not be discerned. Despite these limitations, results of this study highlight micro-CT as a valuable tool to compliment histology in the study of solenogaster anatomy and in non-destructively identifying animals to the family and even genus-level.
Highlights
Solenogastres are vermiform marine molluscs with no distinct head or other regionalisation
This paper presents the results of 3D anatomical study of the soft parts of one specimen of Proneomenia sluiteri Hubrecht, 1880, one specimen of Dorymenia menchuescribanae GarcíaÁlvarez et al, 2000 and two specimens of Anamenia gorgonophila Kowalevsky, 1880 using computed microtomography or microCT
We assessed the utility of micro-CT for the study of solenogaster internal anatomy and present the 3D internal anatomy the most taxonomically informative body regions of the four specimens studied
Summary
Solenogastres are vermiform marine molluscs with no distinct head or other regionalisation They are characterised by a mantle bearing calcareous scales or spines called sclerites, a longitudinal ventral pedal groove and a terminally or subterminally positioned pallial (= mantle) cavity. Knowledge about their biology is scarce and data on their diversity and geographic distribution are limited and uneven due to the fact that their study has been focused on restricted geographic areas, the difficulties of sampling and that many of the species have only been described from very few specimens. The order-level taxonomy of the group has been called into question (Kocot et al, 2019) and, for the classification of families, genera and species, it is essential to study their internal organisation in order to get to know the radular structure, the type of ventrolateral glandular organs of the pharynx and the other internal organs, especially the reproductive system (García-Álvarez and Salvini-Plawen, 2007)
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