Advances in marine biology :marine molluscs as hosts for symbioses, with a review of known parasites of commercially important species (volume 5)

This volume, the first of its kind, reviews and analyses all the information on the relationships between molluscs and symbionts, including phoronts, commensals, parasites and mutualists. The emphasis is on marine molluscs but information derived from freshwater studies is also included. The first section contains a detailed analysis of the various factors which are known to influence such relationships, including those factors which influence or govern host-symbiotic contact, establishment of the symbiotic, and escape of particular interest are the extensive discussions of molluscan internal defence mechanisms, pathology, and physiology of intra-molluscan parasites. In the second part of the book information pertaining to the systematics, life cycles, physiology, and pathobiology of various zooparasites of commercially important marine molluscs are considered in detail. The volume is profusely illustrated, including photomicrographs and line drawings of all the parasites considered. It will be of interest to marine biologists, malacologists, parasitologists, invertebrate physiologists, ecologists and shell-fisheries biologists.