Interactions
Nutrition
G. deflectus use its
radula to scrape its food off of rocks
and other places where algae grows (Hickman,
2009). It also scrapes planktonic items off
of substrates (Bouchet, 2011).
Food is transported through the digestive
tract; crop, gizzard, stomach, intestine,
passing through a single nephridium (or kidney) and then
it is expelled (Hickman, 2009).
Parasitism
G. deflectus
has modifications to prevent against
becoming a host to parasites. An example of
this adaptation is the inability of the cercariae of Alaria mercainae to pierce
G. deflectus' mantle
(Johnson, 1968).
Resulting in its inability to use G. deflectus
as an intermediate host (Johnson, 1968).
Respiration
The text written by Hickman etc. states that
the Pulmonates use a vascularized mantle which
functions as a lung. The
pneumostome,
helps expel waste by forcing air or water
out of the lung. G. deflectus has an open circulatory system
(Hickman, 2009).
G. deflectus does not compete much with
organisms that live at higher inorganic
concentrations in the water. It does not
compete with organisms that live around it,
because of its adaptations to the
concentrations of the water. These
adaptations place G. deflectus in a different niche.
This means that G. deflectus does
not have much competition where it is found (Pip,
1988).
Do you know how G. deflectus Reproduces? What about how it is Classified? Do you know where it Lives?
Feel like going back to the Beginning?