Marine Biology Commons^™

Functional Significance Of Varicies In The Muricid Gastropod Ceratostoma Foliatum, Thomas H. Carefoot, Deborah A. Donovan

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Functional significance of varices in the mur­icid gastropod Ceratostoma foliatum was investigated from the standpoints of (1) frequency of landing in the two upside-down orientations after short vertical falls of less than five body lengths through seawater and energy costs of righting from these upside-down positions, and (2) scaling relationships of varix areas with other body dimensions. Field manipulations showed that C.foliatum occupied habitats that mostly permit short falls of less than five body lengths upon dislodgment, as might occur during predation by fish. After short vertical falls in the laboratory, animals landed 48% of the time on their ap­erture …