Foregut anatomy and predation by Charonia lampas (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia: Neotaenioglossa) attacking Ophidiaster ophidianus (Asteroidea: Ophidiasteridae) in the Açores,with a review of triton feeding behaviour

This paper is the first to describe, in detail, the process of feeding by a species of Charonia. As Charonia lampas commenced attacking its sea star prey, Ophidiaster ophidianus, the latter autotomized its trailing arm and escaped. The pursuing C. lampas ate this arm. The results of this study are not in accord with the established view of feeding by species of Charonia. Firstly, C. lampas did not inject either a venom into its prey to paralyse it nor an acid to access it and, second, nor did it pierce the skeleton of its prey and suck out the tissues, all as reported in the literature. Rather, in the case herein described, C. lampas held and manipulated its prey with the foot and used its taenioglossan radula located at the end of the extendible pleurembolic proboscis to scrape and ingest the soft tissues of the sea star and, subsequently, consume the remaining skeletal components again using the proboscis and contained radula. These two phases of consumption were followed by two matching phases of faeces production. Also described is the foregut anatomy of C. lampas, including, for the first time, the minute jaws and the histology of the salivary glands, and for which comparison is made with those of the known acid-producing structures of representatives of the Cassidae and other Ranellidae. As finally described, predator and prey clearly recognised each other signifying an identifiably intimate relationship. Charonia lampas consumed only the autotomised arm and it is argued that in such a case, as an anti-predation device, autotomy is of survival benefit to both predator and prey.     

Multiple prismatic calcium phosphate layers in the jaws of present-day sharks (Chondrichthyes; Selachii)

Summary Jaws of large individuals, over 2 m in total length, of the shark speciesCarcharodon carcharias (great white shark) andIsurus oxyrinchus (mako shark) of the family Lamnidae, andGaleocerdo cuvieri (tiger shark) andCarcharhinus leucas (bull shark) of the family Carcharhinidae were found to have multiple, up to five, layers of prismatic calcium phosphate surrounding the cartilages. Smaller individuals of these species and other known species of living chondrichthyans have only one layer of prismatic calcium phosphate surrounding the cartilages, as also do most species of fossil chondrichthyans. Two exceptions are the fossil shark generaXenacanthus andTamiobatis. Where it is found in living forms, this multiple layered calcification does not appear to be phylogenetic, as it appears to be lacking in other lamnid and carcharhinid genera and species. Rather it appears to be functional, only appearing in larger individuals and species of these two groups, and hence may be necessary to strengthen the jaw cartilages of such individuals for biting.     

颌骨嗜酸性肉芽肿临床病理分析

骨嗜酸性肉芽肿是组织细胞增生症Ｘ三氏中最常见的一种，一般仅影响骨骼系统，颌骨是好发部位，现报告５例，并复习文献，就其临床病理特征以及诊断和治疗进行了分析讨论。