Researchers at the Marine Biological Laboratory have shared the “amazing” development of marine snail larvae, which totally transform to reach their adult form.
The veliger – that’s a stage of larval development – of marine snails such as the slipper snail (Crepidula fornicata) look very different from fully formed adults, according to Nipam Patel, director at the Marine Biological Laboratory, who shared the video.
“These animals possess a pair of large lobes, known as velar lobes, that are lined by cilia (shown in green), which they use to swim.” Cilia are tiny hair-like structures.
The video shows several little sea snails fluttering through the water like dandelion seeds in the breeze.
“The video goes on to show the amazing movements of the veligers in the water column, as well as the remarkable beating of the cilia, as they feed on bacteria and microalgae,” Patel says.
“As they continue to develop, a shell will form around the body (red in the final confocal), and the veligers will metamorphose into their adult snail morphology and settle.”
Scientists have been studying these marine snails for over 100 years and still use them in research today.
Image and video credit: Nipam Patel. Initial confocal: Rachel Miller and Juliette Petersen, PhD;Living veligers: BioQuest Studios filmed at the Marine Biological Laboratory. Final confocal: Joyce Pieretti, Manuela Truebano, Saori Tani, and Daniela Di Bella.
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