Genitalia Malformations in Stramonita haemastoma (Gastropoda: Muricidae) from Atlantic and Mediterranean Coast

Abstract

Stramonita haemastoma is a gonochoric marine gastropod. The examination of the genital tract has revealed the occurrence of malformations affecting the penis of males S. haemastoma, as for the females only aphallia was recorded. Investigations of the genital tract malformations were made in snails sampled monthly from Bizerta Channel (Northern Tunisia), over one-year period of sampling (June 2009 to May 2010). S. haemastoma was sampled in 2013 from sixteen sites located in the Mediterranean and Atlantic coast. The development of such type of malformations was associated to the use of antifouling paints. However, this assumption should be supported by further bioassays.