A Study on Extant Species of Fresh Water Amphibious Genera Pila Using Morphometric Features and Gene Markers to Reconstruct their Phylogenetic Affinities

Abstract

As, Mollusca radiated out and were dominant in benthic communities of terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems thus study of the Class Gastropoda was significant as the taxonomic and conservation status of these taxa had remain ambiguous. India has harbored a rich heritage of biodiversity of several endemic gastropods. Gastropods were evolutionarily successful although being the oldest, hyper diversified class. Gastropods under the phylum Mollusca encompass slugs, limpet, and snails. Gastropods being studied extensively as model organisms for paleobiological, evolutionary, biomechanical, ecological, physiological and behavioral investigations. The species collected for the entire study were from six families namely Ampullariidae (3 species), Viviparidae, (1 species), Neritidae (1species), Nassariidae (1 species), Planorbidae (1 species), Achatinidae (1 species). In study, the morphometric features of each species were analyzed from different genera along with Indian apple snail Pila. The morphometric parameters viz., body weight (g), height of the shell (H), breadth of the shell (B), length of the operculum (LO), breadth of the operculum (BO), were measured from different snails belonging to various taxonomic families collected from a varied areas so as to evaluate the species as well as geographic location specific variation among the chosen gastropods. Correlation coefficient, regression, ANOVA analysis was performed for different Pila species as well as between the intra and inter species. The morphometric analysis among molluscs, (2nd largest assemblage) could be used as the efficient models in prediction of shell size and shape heterogeneity. Gastropods were studied to determine strong intra and inter population affinities among the genera.Haemolymph of Pila globosa species was collected and haemocytes were observed through light microscopy and classified into Agranulocytes, Granulocytes and Spindle- shaped cell by 5% Giemsa staining.