1990 Volume 49 Issue 3 Pages 233-239
As a prelude to studying the defense mechanism of neritid gastropod molluscs, Clithon retropictus and Nerita albicilla, against the estuarine pathogenic bacterium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, conditions to culture the molluscan hemocytes in vitro were investigated and, in these conditions morphology of the hemocytes were observed. When the hemocytes of C. retropictus and N. albicilla were incubated at 25℃ in GIT medium with salinities of 0.6 or 1.5% and 1.5 or 3.5% respectively, they spread pseudopodia and were maintained alive for at least 3 days. When the hemocytes were incubated in the higher salinities, they spread pseudopodia well at 25 and 33℃, remained round form at 37℃ and were destructed at 39℃. Most hemocytes of two molluscs were amoebocytes as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. From these evidences, it was concluded that the hemocytes could be maintained in vitro for at least 3 days.