Gut content analysis of Anadara tuberculosa (Sowerby, 1833) throu

Abstract

The gut content of 30 wild specimens of Anadara tuberculosa collected in April, May, June and October 2000 in the Pacific coast of the Baja California Peninsula was analyzed. Histological sections of the gut were obtained. One thousand and two structures were found, 917 corresponding to diatoms (91.5%), 88.2% of which corresponded to the benthic diatom Paralia sulcata (45.3%) and the planktonic diatoms Thalassiosira spp. (42.9%), Thalasionema nitzchioides (2.7%). The diatom Diploneis sp. (1.2%) and the silicoflagellate Dictyocha spp. (1.6%) were less abundant. Additionally, 85 structures were found (8.5%) consisting of bivalve eggs (1.8%), sponge spicules (0.4%) and unidentified material (6.3%). From these findings, it is concluded that, for this bivalve, gut histological sections represent a new alternative for studying the gut content, facilitating the identification of phytoplankton cells through the observation of diatoms frustules.