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Journal Molluscan Studies Advance Access published online on March 14, 2009
Journal of Molluscan Studies, doi:10.1093/mollus/eyp010
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Malacological Society of London, all rights reserved

PREDATORY BEHAVIOUR OF THE NATICID EUSPIRA FORTUNEI: WHY DOES IT DRILL THE LEFT SHELL VALVE OF RUDITAPES PHILIPPINARUM?

Hiromi Hasegawa1,2 and Shin'Ichi Sato3

1Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-3, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan; and 3 The Tohoku University Museum, Aoba 6-3, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan

Correspondence: S. Sato; e-mail: kurosato{at}mail.tains.tohoku.ac.jp


  Abstract

Field observations showed that at two sites in northern Japan, the invasive naticid gastropod Euspira fortunei preferentially drills the left shell valve of the bivalve Ruditapes philippinarum. Laboratory experiments revealed that when R. philippinarum was allowed to adopt its normal life position, there was a statistically significant preference for E. fortunei to drill the left rather than right shell valve. Further observations of the predatory behaviour of E. fortunei showed that: (1) because this species lifted the left side of its foot while catching R. philippinarum, the direction of the apex of this snail's shell usually coincided with that of the clam's anterior margin; (2) the snail turned its prey around the axis of the anterior and posterior margin; (3) and that if the snail drilled the right shell valve of R. philippinarum, the foot and siphons of the clam interfered with its predatory behaviour.

2 Present address: Hosho High School, Tsunehisa 4336, Miyazaki 880-0916, Japan

(Received 11 January 2008; accepted 16 January 2009)


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