• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2011

This study examines the morphological features of larval and postlarval shells of the paedomorphic bivalve Crenella decussata Montagu, 1808 from the Sea of Japan. During the early morphogenesis of the shell of C. decussata the following characteristics appear: prodissoconch I -the anterior and posterior provincular teeth, a broad primary ligament pit located on the chondrophore; nepioconch - the anterior and posterior juvenile teeth,primary lateral teeth, fine commarginal and radial sculpture. Larvae of C. decussata distinctly differ from other mytilid larvae by a D-shaped shell, absence of umbo, astraight hinge margin, and homogeneous fine-grained sculpture without co-marginal lines of growth. These shell characters indicate lecithotrophic development of this species. Some morphostructures are revealed which might be used in crenellin taxonomy.