2013/01/09 by Shin–Ichiro Wada, Satoshi Chiba · 2 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Mollusks and Parasites Studies #Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies #Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054123
openalex publication_date 2013/01/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/13
Defense against a single predatory attack strategy may best be achieved not by a single trait but by a combination of different traits. We tested this hypothesis experimentally by examining the unique shell traits (the protruded aperture and the denticles within the aperture) of the micro land snail Bensonella plicidens. We artificially altered shell characteristics by removing the denticles and/or cutting the protruded aperture. These snails were offered to the carnivorous micro land snail Indoennea bicolor, which preys on the snails by gaining entry to their shell. B. plicidens exhibited the best defence when both of the traits studied were present; the defensive ability of B. plicidens decreased if either trait was removed and was further reduced if both traits were removed. These results suggest that a combination of different traits provides more effective defence against attack by the predator than either single trait by itself.