The anatomy and functional morphology of Diplodon rhombeus fontainianus (Orbigny, 1835) (Mollusca Bivalvia, Hyriidae)

• Main Authors: WEP. Avelar, AD. Cunha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Internacional de Ecologia
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Biology
• Subjects: Bivalvia; Hyriidae; Diplodonrhombeus fontainianus; functional anatomy
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842009000500021&lng=en&tlng=en

Diplodon rhombeus fontainianus (Orbigny, 1835), belongs to the family Hyriidae Swainson 1840, the distribution of which is restricted to South America and Australasia. This species, endemic to Brazil, occurs in the central-southern geographical region, Upper Paraná Basin and Atlantic Microbasins Espirito Santo to Paraná states. The mollusk lives buried in muddy substrata, has similar sized adductor muscles, and is dioecious, lacking sexual dimorphism. The apertures are simple (type AII of Yonge, 1948, 1957) as in Diplodon rotundus gratus, Castalia undosa martensi, Castalia undosa undosa and mantle fusion is present only in the base of the exalant aperture. The inhalant aperture exhibits tentacles originating from the inner fold while the exhalant aperture has no tentacles. The ctenidia are type D (of Atkins, 1937). A well-developed marsupium is present in the inner demibranch. The association between the ctenidia and the labial palps belongs to category I (of Stasek, 1963). The stomach constitutes a type IV structure (of Purchon, 1958). The posterior sorting area (psa) presents two pouches in Diplodon rhombeus fontainianus. Among the Hyriidae, the presence of these pouches has also been described in several species of Hyriidae from South America. The organization of the gut in the visceral mass follows the same pattern seen in the Hyriidae already studied: Castalia undosa martensi, Castalia undosa undosa, Diplodon.rotundus gratus,Diplodon charruanus and Diplodon pilsbryi.