Mollusk freaks: New teratological cases on marine mollusks from the south pacific ocean

Abstract

© 2018, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar. All rights reserved. The present study provides new documented cases of abnormalities on chitons (hypomerism and coalescence of shell plates), in addition to four new cases on keyhole limpets (closed apical opening), and one new teratologic case on internal organs in octopuses (missing gill). We assess the frequency of these abnormalities and discuss about its possible environmental, mechanic and genetic causes. Several of these findings represent the first of these cases reported in South Pacific Ocean.