Surface crawling and pedal surface collecting in aquatic gastropods: A case of scientific amnesia

Abstract

Aquatic gastropods, both freshwater and marine, often crawl along the water surface with the sole of the foot facing upward. Differential regulation of the activity of cilia on the sole turns the gliding mechanism into pedal surface collecting, by which food particles floating on the water are collected on the sole. Over the last 300 years, surface crawling and pedal surface collecting have been studied in numerous species, but the accumulated knowledge has fallen victim to scientific amnesia. Today, pedal surface collecting usually is considered a unique behaviour that evolved in the family Ampullariidae (Caenogastropoda), which includes the genus Pomacea with some of the globally worst invasive pests. Consequently it may appear feasible to tackle invasive Pomacea species specifically by delivering molluscicides via the water surface. Based on a review of our forgotten literature, I here argue that such an approach would have potentially devastating, unintended effects on native gastropod faunas.