DESCRIPTION OF THE RADULA OF BUCCINANOPS GLOBULOSUS (NEOGASTROPODA, NASSARIIDAE) AND AN ASSESSMENT OF ITS VARIABILITY IN NORTHERN PATAGONIAN GULFS

AVACA, M. S; NARVARTE, M. A.; MARTÍN, P.R.

MALACOLOGIA

INST MALACOL

Año: 2010 vol. 53

0076-2997

The radula of B. globulosus presents a similar morphological pattern to that found in other species of Buccinanops. The variation observed in the number of cusps (rachidian and middle) and in height of central rachidian cusps among and within populations of B. globulosus do not involve the general radular morphology. These differences appear to be size related as shown by the positive relationships found between these variables and total whelk shell length. Our findings suggest that feeding behavior of B. globulosus is similar across populations and that it remains constant during its ontogeny. Morphometric radular differences among the studied populations are clearly related to their variation in size. Differential growth rates observed in B. globulosus may be influenced by many factors including food availability, presence of predators and temperature. It can be concluded that B. globulosus is homogeneous for radula characteristics; only size related differences were found among populations. This interpopulation uniformity in radula supports the idea that the studied populations, despite the great variation in life history traits, would not represent different species, a possibility suggested in a previous work.