VICTORIAN fLUVIATILE AND LACUSTRINE MOLLUSC A— PART f 

 THE FELE£Yf>ODA 



Ry Roy C. Kzrsjm^* 



tlw lec-sltwaK-t iuo*lu$ca ha* e always T^c^-i^d the Modem with cxceprional 

 dirrirnltieJL In Victoria, the fir.=r temhlauce o! otder for this fauna ui the 



Sta;e w£fc achieved by C J. Gabnei. but h'5 icsMfs hai-c not Jiece^aiily beat 

 in aftrccwenr with those of other worker*. Aft the ftrM r»f a projxv-ed scries 

 i)f itarirr* relating f<< Vu eorian mollusca, it was hoped that a briuy'mg together 

 of the work of the various ambers would enable a more up-to-date picture to 

 tx presented. Since, this work was completed, Dr. McMielntel oi the Australian 

 Murfutn has ripGrled ou same revolutionary discoveries m relation to freeh* 

 water muswls, which enables a completely new approach to l >e nviclo, 



li is not proposed to debate the arguments put lotw&id by McMicbael 

 [.\'<ttitilus Qp (jQ 1955) ; t tie writer v,i&"he> 10 accept them ,k the only $»it«- 

 factory rourso. Iredaic had rcvisca the umbels ir. I934, ami again in l°-t> 

 and had iuuoducrd various new grouns in the first papei. Otbjiel did jic-1 

 Imd these arrrprablp in I9&9, and prgfei refl lo .ni'nc'P '•' Hi*' findings of Colloii 

 and t*abriel in 1931, (See reference? iti Ik below) lor the c;nur-oversi.d 

 Onis nustrdis lie had retained Hvrirfrtfa. and in :Wn he tvaj correct, aut, &; 

 McMicliael '■'«> shown, the lame has bc*q in wre it/r llit vm-ji:« shell. In the 

 following bsr the .name Hyr'nicllo a us trait* i= applied lo die shell Fottoti y 

 known as J, J rt.f(n'hyrhU-lhi neptritirsnJt&x fOwjwl), and this k undoibtcdly ihc 

 correct us'iy.e 



tH interest is the nbysiologieol work o: L>j. ft HmcocK. who has shown 

 that there arc ihree phases in I'h^U move-oicinc ftt The coftwiftfl Min'ray nuiss*?! 

 (/?«xr. /. i-/w. FrasUxvatcr A'rx J (2) : 25°, 195(1), The shells may he. cIdwa, 

 completely open (and leedine;), oi pailly open at a stationary uilermedicne 

 position. He hn& desci ib».-d the expulsion of Ihc jrjocttfctficfil larvae, and in a 

 later work (Trans. Hoy. Site: S Autf, 74 (2)\ 146 1951 ) dtfftiff&es the ho^t 

 fis.li, the ca I lop emerging a? the lively principal host. 



Au interesting point remarked |iy fmcock "was the former belief that tin 

 gluctiiihtmi was Q paiasite of the gilts of rffetb; it is m face pa.r^5itic »jh the 

 Tuts, ijurmg or hetore the evpulsion of the crlochidia they may be yie^ent ni 

 the brunclnae in numherf;. This l«l very early ohr.erreTS to rearard them 3^. 

 pajAstres of the niussclg theim-elves. a ceriam i J roi. Jacol>^erL ot CopnihaR^i 

 hfting convinced of this. A little more than one hmtfjred ycori &go ni Ch&tl$f- 

 worth'j Witc/acinc of K'atMrn! Histcry (Vol. 3. p, 441; they were described 

 as disteniliiift the hranchine "in a retmn Wable manner". Dr. i'feiHer, howevst, 

 observed the presence of iviniite mii^el nulboiKSi mid concluded he wa* seeing 

 the yuunir; this -conclusion was later aocep;ed ntt havinp; been rorrert, Joyce 

 Al!3ii {Vi(4 jVu/ 5?-: I6d. \9SA) records inc. discovery oi i. pearl found in % 

 mussel by Mrs, Freame, ami iIim'us^cs *ot5 lyjic ol occurrence. 



Miisst;h are fouitd in many places in Viclorw ; a l*tfi« imm'irr of llte^e ate 

 Tocordcd by Mr. Gabriel, They may he found itt a liwit' Nlrc&in, or in *i 

 billabuus, lagoon, of lake habual. It is very de.^iralilr that more be. leant 

 nonhealing the various types of habitat. 9nd ceruin specie? .seem to liave >omc 

 preferences. The best opportunity for collecting i; at a nine when river level* 

 are low, ifind I have found them even among rock? on the river ht*d. The 

 siiclls vary according to environmental fondition-!. wkleji may alTecL grcwtl. 

 of the shell in various ways. Dr. Uiscock found that :* younjy animiil ,Vfl 

 xccidvnlly to an ucKiMrimn jar without water, withstood dcc.;icjtion at 

 22 d-eg/ee* Centigrade far it least three months There are in Victoria several 

 sneeies of nuniiTc bivalves Jibted b> Mr. G^liriel in the ^eiierM Sphr.crimv. 

 rip1di\pn,$i\iL GyW/tntftr. Tredale has preferred Or, Dal|\ Corlni-tftii\u msloi'i 



