Behavioral responses ofLittoraria irrorata (SAY) to water-borne odors.

Behavioral responses of the gastropod molluscLittoraria (=Littorina)irrorata indicate that it can discriminate among environmental odors. Snails were assayed for responses to 11 odors from plants and animals potentially representing food, shelter, location in the environment, and predators. Crushed conspecifics were included as an alarm odor. Except for odor of crushed conspecifics, all odor sources were water-borne from living intact organisms. Behavioral responses were categorized as no response, positive response, or negative response. For some analyses, negative responses were subdivided into withdrawing and turning responses. Snails responded positively to several plant odors. They did not respond to odors of intact conspecifics, fiddler crabs, or grass shrimp. They responded negatively to odors of a plant found at the upper limit of their minimal habitat, predatory blue crabs, crushed conspecifics, predatory gastropods, and ribbed mussels. Odors of blue crabs on different diets affect the type of negative response the snails display.

Duke Scholars

Author Daniel Rittschof Marine Science and Conservation