... > Volume 10
Food utilisation in fingernail and pill clams
Tereza Kořínková
The contents of digestive systems in six freshwater bivalve species
of the family Sphaeriidae were investigated. Microorganisms in the
stomachs and intestines of the bivalves were the same as found
suspended in the water, which implies none or very limited
preingestive selection, at least of the organic particles. Most of the
organisms (coccal algae, diatoms, flagellates, euglenophytes,
Zygnematophycaea, monadoid algae, bacteria) probably pass through the
digestive system unharmed, as they were found alive even in the
alimentary bolus in the hindgut. Probably only a small proportion of
them is digested, in particular the bacteria and monadoid algae, the
abundance of which decreased especially following starvation. In
starved animals, food particles were also present in the digestive
diverticula, apparently in order to increase food utilisation.
Keywords: Sphaeriidae, digestive system, filtration, ingestion, water
microorganisms
Kořínková T., 2011: Food utilisation in fingernail and pill clams. –
Malacologica Bohemoslovaca, 10: 1–4. https://doi.org/10.5817/MaB2011-10-1
Publication date: 18. 2. 2011. PDF
(426 kB)
Copyright © 2011 Published by Department of Botany and
Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University