Abstract:

The radula of Hemifusus tuba (Gmelin), Hemifusus colosseus (Lamarck), and Hemifusus kawamurai Habe were morphologically compared in this article. The samples of the three species had 10 populations from different coastal regions of China and each population has 10―20 individuals. The results show that there are always three teeth of each row symmetri-cally arrayed in the radula of Hemifusus, and the pattern of radula is 1•1•1. Different species in Hemifusus have little disparity, and the main discrepancy is in the central protruding of the central teeth. Different populations in H. tuba have no apparent difference. The discrepancy between species is a litte larger than that in the same species. Populations of H. tuba have apparent difference with H. colosseus and H. kawamurai Habe (P<0.05). Populations of H. colosseus have no apparent difference with H. kawamurai. The ratio of the length of 1st protruding of the lateral teeth /the width of the central teeth in the populations of H. colosseus from the Beibu Bay have apparent difference with H. kawamurai from the Yangjiang (P<0.01). Different popula-tions in Hemifusus have little difference in radula, which is related to the coincident life habit. It is suggested that the radula parameter could not be used in indentifying different populations in H. tuba.

Key words: Hemifusus tuba (Gmelin), Hemifusus colosseus (Lamarck), Hemifusus kawamurai Habe, radula, morphological comparison