Helix pomatia/slimák záhradný

Geographic Range
Helix pomatia is indigenous to Central and Southeast Europe, but has been moved by humans all over
Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Habitat
Helix pomatia prefers low-lying chalk and limestone areas but can be found up to 1830 meters in
altitude. They can also be seen in vineyards, gardens, thickets and parks. They require a habitat that is
humid with fairly constant, mild temperatures; and they cannot tolerate heavy rains or direct sunlight.

Habitat Regions: temperate terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland
Other Habitat Features: suburban agricultural
Range elevation: 1830 (high) m

Physical Description
Helix pomatia has a brown shell
with three to five light brown
bands, four to five whorls, and are
round or conical. A mature shell can
range from 3.8-5.0 centimeters in
height and diameter and is
approximately one-third of their
weight.

Other Physical Features:

ectothermic, bilateral symmetry
Range length: 3.8 to 5.0 cm

Development
The embryos of Helix pomatia undergo development that is typical of veliger larvae. In the case that an
embryo becomes dehydrated, it is usually able to survive. The snails emerge from their shells three to
four weeks after they are deposited in a hole dug by their parent, depending on both the temperature
and humidity. Each newly-hatched snail typically weighs twenty-seven milligrams and has both male and
female reproductive organs. The snails live in the hole dug by the parent for a little over a week, feeding
on the empty eggshells.

Shells grow incrementally until they reach maturity. Growth of the shell is inhibited by adverse weather
conditions such as extreme heat or dryness, but eight hours of sunlight is optimal. Shells cannot reach
full development unless they are able to access a rich calcium carbonate food-source

Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis

Reproduction
The mating process occurs in five steps: (1) With their heads up, snails circle each other and feel one
another with their tentacles. (2)After becoming stimulated, one of the snails injects a calcareous “love-
dart” into the sole of the other snail. Once it becomes exhausted, the other snail does the same thing.
(3)After resting, they align in such a way that their genital openings overlap. This act further stimulates
the snails. (4)The two snails twist their bodies around one another so that the penis and vagina are
connected. One snail receives a spermatophore in a process that takes four to seven minutes. (5)In the
final stage, the penis is removed.

Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding, simultaneous hermaphrodite, sexual fertilization

(internal), oviparous

Breeding interval Breeding season Range number of offspring

Two to six times per year From late spring into early fall 8 to 30

Range gestation period Range age at sexual or Range age at sexual or

3 to 4 weeks reproductive maturity (female) reproductive maturity (male)
2 to 4 years 2 to 4 years

Helix pomatia typically selects a light, moist, deep soil in order to ensure that its eggs fully develop. After
laying their eggs in a hole, which can take 15-20 minutes per egg, they cover them with a mixture of
slime and soil.

Parental Investment :no parental involvement, pre-hatching/birth (protecting: male, female )

Lifespan/Longevity
Helix pomatia lives in the wild have a typical lifespan of five years, while those that are held in captivity
can live longer than ten years. Egg deposition affects lifespan because it causes significant weight loss.
Snails that inhabit densely populated areas also suffer from higher mortality rates. Nematodes,
trematodes, fungi, and other parasite are capable of infecting dense snail populations, causing high
mortality.
Behavior
When Helix pomatia forage, a slime trail is left behind. While navigating their surroundings, they use
their slime secretions to move on the rough or slick surfaces. In order to reduce the loss of water while
moving on dry surfaces, they utilize a technique called “jumping,” which entails using only specific parts
of their foot sole. The snails are able to follow the trail back home, and to return to the food source the
proceeding day.

Key Behaviors: arboreal, terricolous, nocturnal, crepuscular, motile ,hibernation

Food Habits
Most feeding occurs between sunset and midnight. While feeding, the snails use their radula to brush
the food. They require a calcium rich food source for shell growth and maintenance.

Primary Diet: herbivore ( folivore, frugivore, eats sap or other plant foods )
Plant Foods: leaves, fruit, flowers , sap or other plant fluids

Predation
Young Helix pomatia are preyed upon by birds, insects, toads and mice. Snail eggs can also be predated
by newly-hatched snails. Secreted slime, although not poisonous or unpalatable, often deters predation.

Meleagrina margaritifera/perlorodka
Description
Shell large, heavy almost equivalve, stongly inequilateral; beaks near the anterior margin. Shell more or
less compressed with a triangular projection at the anterior end. Outline almost circular, as hight as
broad, with dorsal area straight, yet shorter than length; posterior margin slightly curved, anterior
margin flexous. Rough sculpture of concentric ridges which are usually more projecting at the margins
and radial rows of wide appressed scales. Hinge without teeth. Ligament in a single triangular
depression.

Color: externally greyish green with white or yellowish radial rows of scales. Internally very pearly with a
pale blue or violet cast. Margins brown to black.

Common size: to 200 mm in height. 250 mm in the Pacific

Distinguishing Characteristics
Very similar to P. radiata from which it differs in size, color and shape of the adductor muscle scar: shell
of P. radiata is smaller, thinner, tan-colored, usually with reddish to black markings.

Biology / Ecology
Epifaunal suspension feeders. Because of their commercial interest, population dynamics of both wild
and cultured oysters have been studied in various parts of the world. Suspension feeders have a high
ability to acquire energy under low phytoplankton conditions. The optimal conditions for maximun
survival and growth were 26-29°C and salinity 28-32‰. Temperature of 35°C or greater were lethal for
larvae and at all temperatures tested larvae growth and survival were lowest at a salinity of 40‰.

habitat : in the Indo-Pacific, lives attached by byssus to hard substrata (under stones, in crevices of
rocks, algae), intertidal and subtidal (Cernohorsky, 1972). In Egypt, at depths less than 18m.
Locomotion
Unlike in other molluscan groups, locomotion in bivalves is used only when dislodgement occurs or as a
means to escape predation.

The bivalve foot, unlike that of gastropods, does not have a flat creeping sole but is bladelike (laterally
compressed) and pointed for digging. The muscles mainly responsible for movement of the foot are the
anterior and posterior pedal retractors. They retract the foot and effect back-and-forth movements. The
foot is extended as blood is pumped into it, and it is prevented from overinflating by concentric rings of
circular, oblique, and longitudinal muscle fibres, which also help to direct pedal extension and permit
fine mobility.

During burrowing, the foot is greatly extended anteriorly from between parted shell valves. Taking a grip
on the substratum, typically by dilation of the tip, the pedal retractors pull the shell downward. This is
accompanied by sharp closure of the shell valves, forcing water out of the mantle cavity into the burrow,
helping to fluidize the sediment, and making movement through it more efficient. So effective is this
mechanism that fast burrowers, when removed from the sediment, can swim short distances.

Food and feeding

The primitive bivalve was almost certainly a detritivore (consumer of loose organic materials), and the
modern palaeotaxodonts still pursue this mode of life. The posterior leaflike gills serve principally for
respiration; feeding is carried out by the palp proboscides, which collect surface detritus.
Sepia oficinalis/sépia obyčajná

Geographic Range
Sepia officinalis is generally found in the eastern North Atlantic, throughout the English Channel, and
south into the Mediterranean Sea so it is often referred to as the "European Cuttlefish". However,
populations have also been recorded along the west coast of Africa, and as far south as South Africa.

Biogeographic Regions: atlantic ocean (native), mediterranean sea (native)

Habitat
Sepia officinalis is a marine organism, categorized as a “shallow water cephalopod”, dwelling in sandy or
muddy substrates. Its habitat ranges from subtidal waters to depths of 200 meters. Members of this
species follow seasonal migrations. They spend spring and summer in inshore waters, then migrate to
depths of 100 m to 200 m during autumn and winter. Sepia officinalis commonly spends the daytime
hidden in sand.

Habitat Regions: temperate, saltwater or marine

Aquatic Biomes: benthic coastal
Range depth: 0 to 200 m

Physical Description
European cuttlefish have large eyes and a mouth with beak like jaws located at the base of the mantle.
The mantle houses reproductive and digestive organs, as well an internal shell called the cuttlebone. The
cuttlebone shape is oblong with a rounded posterior end and an anterior end that tapers to a point.

The body of S. officianalis is broad and dorso-ventrally flattened, having an oval shaped cross section. A
pair of flat, wide fins runs the length of the mantle. The mouth is surrounded by eight arms and two
longer tentacles, all equipped with suckers. Mature Sepia officinalis exhibit a zebra stripe pattern on the
dorsal surface of their mantles during breeding season. Adult males are distinguished by white and black
zebra bands on their fourth arm, as well as white arm spots. Sepia officinalis is able to change the color
and even texture of its skin using structures called chromatophores, leucophores, and iridophores.
These structures function to camouflage this species to its variable surroundings. Generally, however,
Sepia officinalis has a mottled black or brown color

Other Physical Features: ectothermic, heterothermic, bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike, sexes colored or patterned differently

Range mass Range length Average length

2 to 4 kg 60 (high) cm 45 cm

Development
Females deposit clusters of eggs on seaweed, shells, and other substrate along the seafloor. Eggs
measure 6 to 9 mm in diameter, hatching after about 2 months, or 30-90 days, depending on water
temperature. Once hatched, the young Sepia officinalis have a total length of 50 mm. Newly hatched
young are well developed and can almost immediately start feeding on small prey. Growth rates vary
with temperature, the young growing faster at lower temperatures. Sepia officinalis generally reaches
maturity at 14 to 18 months of age.
Reproduction
Sepia officinalis has separate male and female sexes. In the spring and summer, male and females
migrate to shallow, warmer waters to spawn. They exhibit elaborate courtships, wherein males attract
females through spectacular displays of colored bands passing rapidly along their bodies. Males then
hold their arms stiffly in a basket formation to show their virility. Similarly, females display a uniform
gray color when ready to mate. Mate guarding, in which males aggressively fight over and guard their
females, is also common. (Hart, 2010; Jereb and Roper, 2005; King, 2009; Neves, et al., 2009)

Mating System: polygynous

Mating in Sepia officinalis involves internal fertilization. The male deposits spermaphores into the
female’s buccal membrane using a hectocotylized arm (tentacle arm used as intromittent organ). Males
carry as many as 1400 spermatophores, while females carry somewhere between 150 and 4000 eggs,
depending on body size. Females can lay eggs several times at the ends of their lives. However, after
spawning both male and females die.

Key Reproductive Features: semelparous, seasonal breeding, gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious

(sexes separate), sexual fertilization, internal, oviparous

Breeding interval Breeding season Range number of offspring

European cuttlefish typically European cuttlefish breed during 100 to 1000
breed only once in their lifetime. the spring and summer.

Range gestation period Range age at sexual or Range age at sexual or

30 to 90 days reproductive maturity (female) reproductive maturity (male)
14 to 18 months 13 to 18 months

Fertilized eggs are stored in the oviduct of the female Sepia officinalis until they are ready to be
deposited. Eggs are produced with deposits of ink, to color and, therefore, camouflage the eggs for
protection. A young Sepia officinalis hatches with a yolk to provide nutritious support until they are able
to catch their own prey.

Parental Investment: precocial pre-fertilization, provisioning protecting female

Lifespan/Longevity
Sepia officinalis has a typical lifespan of one to two years.

Typical lifespan Typical lifespan

Status: wild Status: captivity
1 to 2 years 1 to 2 years

Behavior
Sepia officinalis is active at night and spends most of its time on the sea floor. It swims mainly to eat,
mate or fight with other cuttlefish. The undulating fins on either side of its mantle aid in swimming. The
European cuttlefish also has the ability to rapidly propel itself by forcing water through its siphon. Sepia
officinalis is typically a solitary species except during mating. Cuttlefish can change the color and texture
of its skin within seconds, allowing it to camouflage with its environment and to communicate with
other cuttlefish or predators. Special structures within its skin enable it to change colors quickly. The
cuttlefish expands and contracts these structures to create the different patterns of colors and textures
on its skin. Sepia officinalis can create uniform body patterns or to exhibit multiple patterns at the same
time. Another anti-predatory behavior is to secrete ink.

Key Behaviors: natatorial, nocturnal, motile, migratory, solitary

Range territory size: 5300 to 23700 m2
Sources
 https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Helix_pomatia/

 https://www.britannica.com/animal/bivalve/Ecology-and-habitats

 https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sepia_officinalis/

 http://www.ciesm.org/atlas/Pinctadamargaritifera.html