Environmental Science Center (ESC), Qatar University (QA), Doha, Qatar.
School of Ocean Science Bangor University Menai Bridge, Wales, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2019 May 1;14(5):e0215865. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215865. eCollection 2019.
A number of molluscs within the Class Bivalvia are defined by their ability to secrete fine silk like threads known as byssus which are used to anchor themselves to solid substrates. With relatively few exceptions the majority of these species remain in a sedentary state throughout their life attached via their byssal threads. However, observations of adult Pinctada imbricata radiata pearl oysters made during this study revealed this species' ability to implement active movement. Byssal threads were secreted in a sequence of attachment and detachment phases, which resulted in the active displacement of the oyster. The oyster was observed, in the laboratory over a 9 day period, travelling a distance of 28cm in a horizontal path. After horizontal displacement, a vertical climbing phase was observed until the oyster reached the water surface at which point the byssus was discarded and the animal dropped, drifting in accordance with water current intensity. It is possible that these adaptations of byssal use are a result of environmentally induced evolutionary change within P. i. radiata.
许多双壳类软体动物因其能够分泌出细如丝的纤维而被定义，这些纤维被称为足丝，用于将自己固定在固体基质上。除了相对较少的例外，这些物种中的大多数在其整个生命周期中都保持静止状态，通过足丝附着在那里。然而，在这项研究中对成年的放射肋珍珠贝的观察揭示了该物种能够实施主动运动的能力。足丝在一系列附着和脱离阶段中被分泌，这导致了牡蛎的主动位移。在实验室中，经过 9 天的观察，牡蛎在水平方向上移动了 28 厘米的距离。在水平位移之后，观察到一个垂直爬升阶段，直到牡蛎到达水面，此时足丝被丢弃，动物掉落，根据水流强度漂流。这些足丝使用方式的适应可能是放射肋珍珠贝在环境诱导的进化变化的结果。
