1988 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Adaptive significance of the lightweight structure seen in the sessile bivalve shells living on muddy bottom
| Project/Area Number |
62540602
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Stratigraphy/Paleontology
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
CHINZEI Kiyotaka Fac. Science, Kyoto University, Professor, 理学部, 教授 (70011517)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
OHNO Terufumi Fac. Science, Kyoto University, Assistant, 理学部, 助手 (40194245)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1987 – 1988
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| Keywords | Adaptive strategy / Shell structure / Bivalves / Oyster / 適応戦略 / 軽量構造 / 固着性浮遊物食者 |
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| Research Abstract |
Some of the suspension-feeding sessile bivalves are living freely on the soft intertidal mud. The project is a part of the research to clarify adaptive strategies to live on the soft mud. The project is focused on the significance of porous shell layers found in the oysters. The conclusions are as follows.
1) There are three different types of porous structure among the oyster shells. They are chalky deposits seen in the Crassostrea and Ostrea shells, vesicular or honeycomb structure in the Hyotissa shells, and dendritic precipitates in the vacant space of the Lopha shells.
2) Crassostrea individuals are lighter than the mud on which they are living, and the porous structure is responsible to the lighteness of the shell, hence it is the"lightweight" structure. Oysters are floating on the mud.
3) Thick shelled Miocene oyster "Ostrea" gravitesta are mostly composed of the chalky deposits, and the oyster was lying on soft mud with reclining posture.
4) The lightweight structure of the oyster shells is a character highly adaptive for sessile suspension-feeding bivalves to surpass rapidly accumulating soft mud.
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