Migratory Responses of Hemocytes to Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the Alimentary Tract of an Estuarine Neritid Gastropod, Clithon retropictus

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Migratory responses of hemocytes to Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain D3 in the alimentary tracts of an estuarine neritid gastropod, Clithon retropictus, and a related marine neritid, Nerita albicilla, were examined under the scanning electron microscope. After ingesting the strain, active responses were seen at the esophagus, stomach and anterior intestine of adult C. retropictus and at the middle and posterior intestines of adult N. albicilla. When the alimentary tracts were isolated from the gastropod and incubated in vitro with strain D3, active response was induced at the most parts of the tract of the adult gastropods and at the stomach and the anterior intestine of juvenile C. retropictus. The responding hemocytes were confirmed to be granulocytes in the semi-thin sections of the tract of adult C. retropictus. The poor hemocyte responses at the middle and posterior intestines of juvenile C. retropictus might support the colonization of the organism there.