Modifications in Foot of Mollusca
Modifications in Foot of Mollusca
Modifications in Foot of Mollusca
Depending on different modes of locomotion and living in varying environment, the foot in
Molluscs varies greatly in shape and form (Fig. 16.63). Variation of foot is primarily due to
various physiological activities like creeping or crawling, burrowing, leaping, looping, swimming,
reproduction, etc.
Structure of Foot:
In most typical gastropods, particularly in prosobranchs the foot is usually differentiated into:
Parapodia:
Lobe-like lateral extentions given out from below upwards from the edge of the ventral sole
(e.g., Aplysia), and act as fins.
Epipodia:
Projecting paired ridges or folds developing from the sides or base of the foot along its entire
length. These may be beset with papillae or tentacles (e.g., Fisurella).
Modification of Foot:
Class Aplacophora:
True molluscan foot is absent in Aplacophorans but some structure may be regarded to be the
starting point. In Neomenia (Subclass Neomeniomorpha), a mid-ventral groove from mouth to
anus with non-muscular ciliated ridge is believed to be homologous with the foot of other
molluscs and serves as locomotory organ (Fig. 16.65U). The foot helps to glide or to creep over
the substratum with a mucous trail.
Class Polyplacophora:
In Polyplacophora, the foot of Chiton is broad, muscular and flattened that extends the entire
ventral surface of the body (Fig. 16.65A). In Chitonellus and Crypsoplax the foot is narrow. In
Ischnochiton the anterior portion of the foot is elongated. The foot helps to creep or glide on the
rocky substratum by the waves of muscular activity which is lubricated by mucus glands.
Class Monoplacophora:
In Neopilina and Vema the foot is centrally placed, broad, flattened and almost circular in
outline. The foot helps in creeping by muscular movement.
Class Gastropoda:
In most gastropods the foot is an elongated, flat creeping sole that contains numerous mucus-
producing gland cells. In the members of the subclass pulmonata the foot is undivided with a
very large flat lobe containing a large pedal gland. In these cases the foot is used for creeping
on a mucous trail. The terrestrial pulmonates retain the primitive type of foot.
In prosobranchs, Patella has a well-developed ventral foot with a flat creeping sole which is
adapted for clinging or moving over the rocks (Fig. 16.65C). The creeping foot may be
contractile as in Triton. In some cases foot shows partial regional modification.
Bivalvia:
The foot in Nucula and Area are considered as primitive type, which possess a flat, ventral
surface of sole on which the animal creeps.
Class Scaphopoda:
In Dentalium the foot is conical, trilobed and protrusible (Fig. 16.65H). In Siphonodentalium, the
foot terminates in a retractile disc with papillated margins. The foot of the Scaphopoda is
adapted to burrowing habit in sand and the co foot is buried into sand and the foot lateral,
epipodial lobes assist in burrowing.
Class Gastropoda:
In Terebra, the extremity of foot with flow of blood is extended and acts as anchor. In Natica
(Fig. 16.65D), Polinices, Sigaretus (Fig. 16.65P), the propodium is demarcated from the rest of
the body by deep transverse grooves as a semicircular flap and the metapodium is provided
with lateral parapodium. The animals have adapted for burrowing on soft bottom habitat. The
propodium acts like a plough and anchor, and a dorsal flap-like fold of the foot protective shield.
In Harpa the propodium is separated by a constriction.
Class Bivalvia:
In Anodonta and Unio, the foot is triangular and plough like. The foot can perform as effective
burrowing organ in addition to acting as a creeping organ. In Solemya, Yoldia the foot has a
flattened sole and two sides of the sole can be folded to form a blade-like edge which can
penetrate into the mud or sand and act as soft bottom burrowers.
In most bivalves, the foot is laterally compressed and blade-like, and the anterior part of the foot
acts as a burrowing organ in the soft substratum where they live.
The byssal threads are proteinaceous secretions from byssus gland of the foot. The
members of mytilids use the byssus for attachment to other objects. The foot is elongated
and not used for the lead of sessile life.
Pen shells (e.g., Pinna, Atrina) are attached to the underlying solid substrate by byssus and
partly remain buried in sandy sediment. Oysters are firmly cemented to the rock and other
substrates. They lack foot and byssal threads.
Crepidula (class Gastropoda) is a sedentary animal which possesses the reduced foot, and the
ventral sole acts as an effective sucker for attachment. Vermicularia (Gastropoda) a worm-shell
snail is a sessile gastropoda and its foot is reduced. The shell is attached to solid substrates
such as rocks and other shells, or entangled in sponges.
It may have wing-like processes as in Pteropoda (Fig. 16.65Q). In Oxygurus the parapodia are
hollow and possess fin-like outgrowth. In Atlanta, the metapodium is produced into laterally
flattened swimming lobe. In Clione (Fig. 16.65E) the parapodia are well-developed and are
placed on the lateral sides of the anterior end.
The most notable transformation of the foot as swimming organ is observed in cephalopods.
The foot is partly modified into muscular arms and tentacles around head for food capturing,
adhesion and locomotion, and partly into a ventral siphon for jet propulsion.
The cuttle fish and squids move backwards and not forwards on the basis of jet-propelled
mechanism. The siphon (funnel) squirts water forward, pressure of the action squirts the animal
simultaneously backwards.
The siphon (also called funnel or infundibulum) is a ventral, muscular, sub-conical tube helps in
swimming via jet propulsion by expelling water from the mantle cavity.
The expulsion of water is achieved by muscular contraction of the siphon or funnel. In Nautilus
(Subclass Nautiloidea) the funnel consists of two separate lateral muscular lobes that fold
together to form a tube-like structure which serves for jet propulsion. The funnel of Nautilus is
not a complete tube.
In subclass Coleoidea (e.g., cuttle fish, squids) the siphon is a complete one and is made up of
two muscular lobes which are completely fused. In both groups the funnel is used for swimming.
Mechanism of boring:
The boring is done by the anterior end of the bivalve shells. The anterior end of the valves is
usually serrated and has abrading surfaces. The drilling is a mechanical process and is done by
the anterior ends of the valves which are rotated back and forth by which the species can bore
into the hard substrates. The boring species can attach to the substrate with the help of foot
which has developed a sucker-like ventral surface.
In some Bivalves, in adult or in larval stages the byssus apparatus helps in the process of
adhesion. The Organ of Valenciennes in some Cephalopod females, Van der Hoeven in
Nautilus males are the other notable accessory organs associated with the foot.