A first record of biphallia in imposexed female of Leucozonia nassa (Caenogastropoda: Fasciolariidae)

Abstract

(JMR: Me llegó para evaluar, y no lo dí por bueno ya que I do not think a record of diphallia (even a new one) deserves publication per se, this is just a curious anomaly within the subject of gastropod imposex. Odd cases of diphallia have been reported for other species, but only within the text of papers of a wider scope. I cannot understand why authors put the stress on diphallia rather than on the finding of imposex in a gastropod species (Leucozonia nassa) which, to my best knowledge, has not been reported as suffering from imposex before. In my opinion, that sort of finding would merit publication in a journal such as JMBA, probably as a short note). Imposex is characterized by the development of male characteristics, as penis and vas deferens, in female prosobranch gastropods, caused by organotin compounds contamination. In Brazil, imposex was observed in muricids Stramonita haemastoma, Stramonita rustica and in olivid Olivancillaria vesica. During the low tide, 54 adult individuals of Leucozonia nassa were manually collected in February 2004 at Ilha do Japonês tidal flat, Cabo Frio County, Rio de Janeiro State, Southeast Brazil. About 98.15% of females presented imposex (n = 30). Their penises were smaller than male ones. Only 1 imposexed female presented a diphallia problem, showing 2 flattened penises with a small scourge in the edge. That is the first record of diphallia in imposexed female of fasciolarid Leucozonia nassa.