Abstract
The forces exerted by the animal’s food processing structures can be important parameters when studying trophic specializations to specific food spectra. Even though molluscs represent the second largest animal phylum, exhibiting an incredible biodiversity accompanied by the establishment of distinct ecological niches including the foraging on a variety of ingesta types, only few studies focused on the biomechanical performance of their feeding organs. To lay a keystone for future research in this direction, we investigated the in vivo forces exerted by the molluscan food gathering and processing structure, the radula, for five stylommatophoran species (Gastropoda). The chosen species and individuals have a similar radular morphology and motion, but as they represent different body mass classes, we were enabled to relate the forces to body mass. Radular forces were measured along two axes using force transducers which allowed us to correlate forces with the distinct phases of radular motion. A radular force quotient, AFQ = mean Absolute Force/bodymass0.67, of 4.3 could be determined which can be used further for the prediction of forces generated in Gastropoda. Additionally, some specimens were dissected and the radular musculature mass as well as the radular mass and dimensions were documented. Our results depict the positive correlation between body mass, radular musculature mass, and exerted force. Additionally, it was clearly observed that the radular motion phases, exerting the highest forces during feeding, changed with regard to the ingesta size: all smaller gastropods rather approached the food by a horizontal, sawing-like radular motion leading to the consumption of rather small food particles, whereas larger gastropods rather pulled the ingesta in vertical direction by radula and jaw resulting in the tearing of larger pieces.
Highlights
The typical force exerted by feeding organs is a useful parameter indicating specializations to distinct food types, as it correlates with the food spectrum
We found that the body mass relates in proportion to the masses of the whole buccal mass, the radular musculature, and the radula and jaw
Comparing mature and immature L. fulica we found that the body mass increases for the factor ~ 4 and BRJ increases for the factor 1.4
Summary
The typical force exerted by feeding organs is a useful parameter indicating specializations to distinct food types, as it correlates with the food spectrum (see e.g.1; for a review for stress-related puncture mechanics, see). Since the species belonging to this animal phylum occupy almost any marine, freshwater or terrestrial environment and established extremely varied ecological n iches, accompanied with feeding on a wide range of food sources with various mechanical properties, mollusc trophic specializations are of very high interest for evolutionary biologists. Their radula, one important molluscan autapomorphy and the interface between. Ingesta consumption, grazing activity, food choice experiments, and fecal analyses for diverse gastropod species have been investigated relating the gastropods with their preferred food, the abundance of food or other parameters of the microhabitat (74–80; for comprehensive reviews on diet of Heterobranchia, see81,82)
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