• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.145-151
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• 2009

The ultrastructural changes in germ cells during oogenesis of the melania snail, Semisulcospira libertina libertina have been investigated by light and electron microscopy. The ovary is located on the surface of the hepatopancreas in the spiral posterior region. The ovary exhibited greenish color in the gonadal mature season. The ovary was composed of a number of oogenic follicles. Oogenesis was divided into five stages with histological features: (1) oogonia, (2) previtellogenic, (3) initial vitellogenic, (4) active vitellogenic, and (5) mature stages. Oogonia were oval in shape, $4-6\;{\mu}m$ in diameter, and had a large nucleus. Previtellogenic oocytes were about $20\;{\mu}m$ in diameter and the cytoplasm reacted with hematoxylin in H-E satin. Initial vitellogenic stage, oocytes were $60-80\;{\mu}m$ in diameter, and small yolk granules of low electron density are scattered in the cytoplasm. Oocytes in the initial vitellogenic stage were connected with ovarian follicle by egg stalk. Active vitellogenic oocyte were $100-120\;{\mu}m$ in diameter. Electron density, size and quantity of yolk granules that are distributed in the cytoplasm have increased from the previous stage. Result of TEM observations, the oocyte contains well-developed Golgi complex, endoplasmic reticula and tubular mitochondria in the cytoplasm. Cytoplasm of mature oocyte was filled with proteinaceous yolk globules of high electron density. In this stage, the length of microvilli in the egg envelope was approximately $1.1\;{\mu}m$.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2005

The effects of various physicochemical stimuli in parturition induction were assayed on ovoviviparous freshwater melania snails, Semisulcospira libertina libertina and S. gottschei. Both of them did not respond to $NH_4OH$ and $H_2O_2$, but showed responses to the water temperature raising, serotonin and acetylcholine. S. gottschei showed stronger responses to the stimulants in parturition induction compared with S. libertina libertina. In case of S. libertina libertina exposed to $10^{-9}M$ acetylcholine, the number of newly born larvae and juveniles per adult and juvenile parturition rate were 68 individuals and 57.5%, which were the most among experimental groups, respectively. In the parturition induction with temperature raising of $9^{\circ}C$, S. gottschei bred 113 larvae and juveniles in which juvenile parturition rate was 56.3% and $10^{-12}M$ acetylcholine also induced very high juvenile parturition rate(61.7%) and 83 larvae and juveniles. It could be concluded that the treatment of acetylcholine has a high effectiveness in the parturition induction of S. libertina libertina and S. gottschei.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2001

Relative growth and composition of larval development stages in brood pouch of the melania snail, Semisulcospira libertina libertina were investigated based on monthly field samples for a year. Total number of specimens examined was 1,200. Size values (mean$\pm$S. D.) of shell height (SH), shell diameter (SD), total weight (TW), meat weight (MW) and shell weight (SW) were $15.96\pm3.41\;mm$, $7.82\pm1.38\;mm$, $0.55\pm0.31\;g$, $0.24\pm0.15\;g$ and $0.39\pm0.23\;g$, respectively, Water temperature (WT) of the sampling site varied from $1.3^{\circ}C\;to\;22.5^{\circ}C$. Relative growth equations among SH, SD, TW, MW and SW of S. libertina libertina specimens pooled were as follows: SD=0,3583SH+2.1648 $(R^2=0.8391)$, $TW=0.0005SH^{2.4853}\;(R^2=0.8391)$,$MW:\;0.0005SH^{2.849}\;(R^2= 0.8391)$ and $SW=0.0004SH^{2.3798}\;(R^2=0.7057)$. Female S. libertina libertina had larvae in its brood pouch throughout the year, Average number of larvae in the brood pouch varied from $91\pm33(July)$ to $396\pm174\;(November)$, decreasing in spring and increasing in autumn. In the monthly composition of larval stage in the brood pouch, trochophore, pre-veliger, veliger and juvenile showed maximum as $66.7\%$ in May, $70.7\%$ in November, $60.9\%$ in February and $13.9\%$ in January, respectively. Percent composition of the juveniles decreased in spring and autumn. In conclusion, S. libertina libertina is likely to have two main parturition periods, March to May and September and October.