Reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica (Pulmonata)

Some individuals of A. fulica in Malaya have active gonads at all times of the year. Several criteria indicate, however, that reproductive activity is greatest in July-December and declines to a minimum in March. There is some evidence that this cycle is related to rainfall, and that year-by-year di...

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Main Authors: Berry, A.J., Chan, L.C.
Format: Article
Published: CSIRO Publishing 1968
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author Berry, A.J.
Chan, L.C.
author_facet Berry, A.J.
Chan, L.C.
author_sort Berry, A.J.
collection UM
description Some individuals of A. fulica in Malaya have active gonads at all times of the year. Several criteria indicate, however, that reproductive activity is greatest in July-December and declines to a minimum in March. There is some evidence that this cycle is related to rainfall, and that year-by-year differences in rainfall affect fluctuations in reproductive condition. A. fulica with their ocular tentacles removed produced significantly more shelled eggs than normal snails and also had more large oocytes in their gonads. When albumen glands were full, numbers of shelled eggs were significantly greater than when albumen glands were reduced. In snails with small albumen glands, removal of tentacles caused oocytes in the gonad to increase more markedly than shelled eggs. It is suggested that the general nutritional condition of the snail affects its ability to form complete shelled eggs, but not its ability to produce oocytes in the gonad. The latter appears to be under a hormonal control involving the tentacles, rather like that proposed by Pelluet and Lane (1961). © 1968, CSIRO. All rights reserved.
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spelling um.eprints-69972020-10-30T01:53:52Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/6997/ Reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica (Pulmonata) Berry, A.J. Chan, L.C. Q Science (General) QH Natural history Some individuals of A. fulica in Malaya have active gonads at all times of the year. Several criteria indicate, however, that reproductive activity is greatest in July-December and declines to a minimum in March. There is some evidence that this cycle is related to rainfall, and that year-by-year differences in rainfall affect fluctuations in reproductive condition. A. fulica with their ocular tentacles removed produced significantly more shelled eggs than normal snails and also had more large oocytes in their gonads. When albumen glands were full, numbers of shelled eggs were significantly greater than when albumen glands were reduced. In snails with small albumen glands, removal of tentacles caused oocytes in the gonad to increase more markedly than shelled eggs. It is suggested that the general nutritional condition of the snail affects its ability to form complete shelled eggs, but not its ability to produce oocytes in the gonad. The latter appears to be under a hormonal control involving the tentacles, rather like that proposed by Pelluet and Lane (1961). © 1968, CSIRO. All rights reserved. CSIRO Publishing 1968 Article PeerReviewed Berry, A.J. and Chan, L.C. (1968) Reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica (Pulmonata). Australian Journal of Zoology, 16 (5). pp. 849-855. ISSN 0004-959X, DOI https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO9680849 <https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO9680849>. https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO9680849 doi:10.1071/ZO9680849
spellingShingle Q Science (General)
QH Natural history
Berry, A.J.
Chan, L.C.
Reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica (Pulmonata)
title Reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica (Pulmonata)
title_full Reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica (Pulmonata)
title_fullStr Reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica (Pulmonata)
title_full_unstemmed Reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica (Pulmonata)
title_short Reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica (Pulmonata)
title_sort reproductive condition and tentacle extirpation in malayan achatina fulica pulmonata
topic Q Science (General)
QH Natural history
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AT chanlc reproductiveconditionandtentacleextirpationinmalayanachatinafulicapulmonata