World Congress of Malacology Antwerp ... - Unitas Malacologica

The effects of salinity changes on the heart rate of two species of bivalvia in long-term
experiment
Bakhmet, I.N. 1 ; Komendantov, A.Ju. 2 ; Smurov, A.O. 2
1. Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Science, Pushkinskaya
str. 11, 185610 Petrozavodsk, Russia,
Email: bakhmet@bio.krc.karelia.ru
2. Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Universitetskaya enb. 1, 199034,
St.-Peterburg, Russia,
Email: aral4@zin.ru
The responses of marine invertebrates to salinity changes have been studied extensively over the last
30 years. However, there have been few attempts to investigate the reactions of sublittoral animals.
The major objective of our study was to determine whether there were significant differences in the
physiological responses of Hiatella arctica L. (Linnaeus, 1767) and Modiolus modiolus L. (Linnaeus,
1758) to changes in salinity. Modiolus modiolus and Hiatella arctica are syntopic species.
Nevertheless, Hiatella artcica is more euryhaline and can survive from a depth of 0.5 m, whereas
Modiolus modiolus resides at depths starting from 5-6 m. Another morphological distinction is that
the valves of the arctic saxicave are porous and unable to isolate the mollusk tissues from
surrounding water. Four experimental salinities – 15, 20 30 and 35 ‰ – and a control salinity of 25
‰ were employed. Changes in the heart rate were measured in long-term experiments during
acclimation and deacclimation of the animals. The results suggest that environmental conditions
determine the features of the adaptive physiology of marine mussels. The animals exhibited a
significant decrease in the heart rate at all experimental salinities except for 35 ‰, at which an
increase in the cardiac activity was observed. Return of the mollusks into the original salinity
conditions (deacclimation) induced different responses of the heart rate – from drop to raising. The
results prove that the cardiac activity of the animals is quite sensitive to changes in salinity.
Ongoing renovations in the Department of Malacology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology
(Harvard University)
Baldinger, Adam J.
Department of Malacology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138,USA,
Email: abaldinger@oeb.harvard.edu
Extensive renovations that facilitate collections storage and collections-based research continue at the
Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ). Major collection room renovations have taken place in
many Departments in the MCZ, including the Department of Malacology. In 2006, renovations began
in the pulmonate room, one of five collections rooms in the Department. Funded by MCZ and
Harvard University funds, the renovations included the installation of new storage efficient
collections cabinetry providing much needed collections storage expansion space, easier specimen
retrievability and security for the specimens. The specimens previously arranged taxonomic within
geographical subsets, were reorganized in the new cabinets alphabetical by family, genus, species,
etc. A list of all pulmonate taxa, including potential types, was generated. Renovations of a second
room are set to begin in early fall, 2007.
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