According to the author, the book addresses to all the scientists and not only to immunologists or biologists of European countries who are engaged in developing a vaccine, or a diagnostic kit or a new drug against the infection or on schistosome evolution. Even these scientists have to visit endemic countries for field trials or ask their counterparts to collect field data (which this book addresses ). Thus this book is not on molecular fundamentals but on the infection itself; how schistosome species are responding to the drug ; sensitivity and specificity of immunodiagnostic kits, antigen molecules; snail compatibility, production losses; schistosome evolution; schistosome outbreaks; complexities where more than two schistosome species are existing; problem of human schistosomiasis in South Asia etc In fact , all the topics of great interest to international scientists and scientists of endemic countries.

This book documents proceedings of a symposium on muskellunge developed as a memorial for Ed Crossman. It focuses on the biology, ecology, and management of muskellunge, Ed's favorite fish. The papers include survey current ecological, behavioral, and management-related issues for muskellunge fisheries. The symposium was developed to bring researchers and angles together, and was sponsored by Muskies, Inc. The papers focus on issues of importance to muskellunge populations and are developed to inform the public and fishery managers alike.

Annelida, mainly consisting of marine Polychaeta and in faunal and partly parasitic Clitellata, is one the most significant metazoan taxa. Its more than 20.000 described species invade nearly all habitats and play a central role in marine benthic systems as well as in terrestrial soil communities. Annelids include all soft-bodied segmented worm-like organisms and have been recognized as a separate "phylum" for almost 200 years.

Recently, evidence has been accumulated which shows that some of the groups formerly regarded as independent "phyla" such as Pogonophora (now recognized as Siboglinidae), Echiura, Myzostomida and perhaps Sipuncula, are most probably nothing else than greatly modified Annelida. The extreme morphological diversity found especially in Polychaeta displays the plasticity of a simple segmented organisation that basically is nothing else but a serial repetition of identical units. Thus, annelids are highly important to our understanding of fundamental questions about morphological and adaptive diversity, as well as clarifying evolutionary changes and phylogenetic relationships.

The book aims to summarize our knowledge on Polychaetes polychaetes and their allies and gives an overview of recent advances gained by studies that employed conventional and modern methods plus, increasingly and importantly, the use of molecular markers and computer-assisted kinship analyses. It also reflects the state of art in polychaete sciences and presents new questions and controversies. As such it will significantly influence the direction of research on Polychaeta and their related taxa.

The soil-transmitted nematode parasites, or geohelminths, are - called because they have a direct life cycle, which involves no intermediate hosts or vectors, and are transmitted by faecal contamination of soil, foodstuffs and water supplies. They all inhabit the intestine in their adult stages but most species also have tissue-migratoryjuvenile stages, so the disease manifestations they cause can therefore be both local and systemic. The geohelminths together present an enormous infection burden on humanity. Those which cause the most disease in humans are divided into three main groupings, Ascaris lumbricoides (the large roundworm), Trichuris trichiura (whipworm), and the blood-feeding hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus ), and this book concentrates on these. These intestinal parasites are highly prevalent worldwide, A. lumbricoides is estimated to infect 1471 million (over a quarter ofthe world's population), hookworms 1277 million, and T. trichiura 1049 million. The highly pathogenic Strongyloides species might also be classified as geohelminths, but they are not dealt with here because the understanding of their epidemiology, immunology and genetics has not advanced as rapidly as for the others. This is primarily because of the often covert nature of the infections, with consequent difficulties for analysis. If there is ever a second edition of this book, then there will hopefully be much to say about this infection.

Earthworms, which belong to the order Oligochaeta, comprise roughly 3,000 species grouped into five families. Earthworms have been called 'ecosystem engineers'; much like human engineers, they change the structure of their environments. Earthworms are very versatile and are found in nearly all terrestrial ecosystems. They play an important role in forest and agricultural ecosystems. This Soil Biology volume describes the various facets of earthworms, such as their role in soil improvement, soil structure, and the biocontrol of soil-borne plant fungal diseases. Reviews discuss earthworms' innate immune system, molecular markers to address various issues of earthworm ecology, earthworm population dynamics, and the influences of organic farming systems and tillage. Further topics include the characteristics of vermicompost, relationships between soil earthworms and enzymes, the role of spermathecae, copulatory behavior, and adjustment of the donated sperm volume.

Bryozoa are among the most abundant yet least understood of phyla in the fossil record. These exclusively colonial animals can be traced back to the Ordovician as fossils and are common elements of sediments deposited in shallow marine environments. On occasion their calcareous skeletons are sufficiently numerous to produce bryozoan limestones. The potential of bryozoans in facies analysis, and their use in macroevolutionary studies, have both been widely recognised, but to date have been incompletely exploited. Bryozoan Paleobiology brings together the scattered research on living and fossil bryozoans in broad and profusely illustrated overview that will help students and researchers alike in understanding this fascinating group of animals. Beginning with the basics of bryozoan morphology, ecology and classification, the book progresses from the smallest scale of skeletal ultrastructure, to the largest of bryozoan distributions in time and space. On the way, topics such as the origin of zooidal polymorphism and macroevolutionary trends in colony forms are covered. Case studies illuminate these topics, and areas in which further research is particularly required are highlighted.

Biomonitoring is a vital and rapidly growing field. Freshwater Biomonitoring and Benthic Macroinvertebrates presents a state-of-the-art look at the use of benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects, molluscs, crustaceans, and worms) in the biological assessment of water quality in lakes and streams. The use of these organisms has increased dramatically in the past two decades in both North America and Europe; no other comprehensive overview of the topic is available. This book contains contributions from nineteen experts from North America, Europe, and Australia. Some chapters contain updates and syntheses of new information on previously reviewed topics, while others present the first detailed coverage of a topic. The book includes much useful reference material on the history of biomonitoring with invertebrates as well as work of a more practical nature. The design, implementation, analysis and interpretation of benthic surveys are discussed in detail, as are toxicity testing and field experiments. This timely and important book will be of interest to professional entomologists, invertebrate zoologists, and aquatic ecologists, especially those in applied areas concerned with environmental quality, preservation, and restoration. Those working in the growing environmental biotechnology field, or in government agencies responsible for monitoring drinking water, environmental quality, or marine habitats, will also find many new ideas here.

This book is a basic account of the life cycles and life history strategies of the major groups of desert arthropods. It covers a wide variety of topics including an overview of major adaptations in desert arthropods, characteristic features of deserts, a comprehensive review of life history theory, and a detailed description of embryonic and postembryonic development. The book also provides an in-depth discussion of the life history traits in these animals including development time, growth rates and patterns, age and size at maturity, size and number of offspring, sex ratios, costs associated with reproduction and longevity, and explains how these traits are inextricably connected by various trade-offs including those between current reproduction and survival, current and future reproduction, and between number, size and sex of offspring. Finally, the relationship between behavioral ecology and life history traits is discussed.

This edited collection is an introduction to the invertebrate work being performed by Russian scientists. The major emphasis is on studies of learning. In this book, the editors and contributors have brought together contemporary Russian experimental data on the behavior of various invertebrates including crustaceans, insects, and mollusks. The book should be useful for those interested in acquiring a working knowledge of the behavioral techniques, data, issues and history of Russian studies of invertebrate behavior. It will also be of interest to those studying the history of behavioral science in Russia.

The nemerteans are a fascinating, common and often locally abundant group of invertebrates, yet for long have attracted the attention of only a handful of scientists. In recent years, however, increasing numbers of people have developed diverse research interests in the group with the result that our knowledge of these worms has rapidly advanced. Clearly there is a need for a regular series of international meetings where individuals working on these animals can meet to exchange ideas, review developments concerning nemertean biology and freely discuss future proposals. The first such meeting was held in Philadelphia during December 1983. Twenty-seven scientists from eight countries participated in the Second International Meeting on Nemertean Biology, held at the Tjarno Marine Biological Laboratory, Sweden, 11-15 August 1986. The meeting was divid ed into five sessions: two dealt with ecological studies, two with nemertean taxonomy, and the final session covered aspects of general biology. A total of 26 papers was presented; four, by N. Anadem, G. Berg, 1. Bierne, and 1.M. TurbeviIIe, were for different reasons not submitted for inclusion in this volume. Three additional presentations were made on behalf of B. Kulikova, E. N. WiIImer, and Z. Yin, all of whom were unable to participate in the meeting.

With rich detail and vibrancy, internationally recognized experts across several fields address the evolution and phylogenetic relationships of the Arthropoda . They offer innovative ideas to reevaluate the phylogeny of major arthropod groups, discuss the evolution of arthropod eyes in a phylogenetic context, present a comprehensive overview of appendage loss and regeneration, and address the most recent molecular phylogenetic data, including nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences. They also discuss relationships between insects and crustaceans, offer diverse approaches to evaluate fossil evidence, and evaluate competing hypotheses for arthropod placement in the animal kingdom. .,."contributes important new insights into the rapidly changing field of evolutionary relationship within the arthropods, revealing a process in which the traditional view of phylogenetic relationships is being reevaluated and revolutionized. ...Fred Schram, as well as the many researchers honouring him with this volume, have markedly advanced our present understanding of arthropod phylogeny, while also providing a template for testing of arthropod relationships as the field advances in years to come." -Christoph D. Schubart, Universitat Regensburg and Carsten H. G. Muller, Institut fur Biowissenschaften, Universitat Rostock, Germany, Systematic Biology, Vol. 55 "It is a highly appropriate collection of thought-provoking and innovative papers...which should do Fred Schram proud. ...for anyone who is interested in current views on arthropods and/or crustacean relationships, and who does not shy away from interpretations that deviate strongly from the general views, this is a must-have volume." -Contributions toZoology "Reassuringly, perhaps, like any other multiauthored volume dealing with aspects of arthropod phylogeny, this one includes plenty that is controversial. ...This book...will serve as a marker in the development of ideas of crustacean and arthropod relationships." -Derek E.G. Briggs, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, The Palaeontology Newsletter, Vol. 61

The great variety in structure and function of arthropod sensory organs is due to the huge number of species living in spatially and temporally different environments and to great variation in behavioral patterns. This atlas compiles the electron microscopic anatomy of arthropod sensory organophotoreceptors, chemoreceptors, and others in relation to function, behavior, and environment. The authors show how each sensory receptor is finely tuned to detect the necessary information in the arthropods surroundings and how the sensory receptors dynamically change their fine structures according to their functional and adaptational states. In each two-page spread of the book, electron or light micrographs are shown on the right, with diagrammatic illustrations and accompanying text on the left, in a format that is attractive and easy to understand. The atlas thus provides an important bridge between the physiology and morphology of arthropod sensory receptors.

About 95 per cent of all known animal species are invertebrates. A knowledge of their sexual, reproductive, and development biology is essential for the effective management of species that are economically useful to man or are harmful to him, his crops, and livestock. This treatise is the first to cover all aspects of reproduction and development of the entire spectrum of invertebrates -- terrestrial, marine, freshwater, brackish-water, free-living, and parasitic. The chapters, by leading world experts in their fields, are up-to-date and informative, and suggest a number of problems for future research. "Progress in Male Gamete Ultrastructure and Phylogeny" (issued in parts A--C) is the ninth volume in the series.
Contents Preface to the Progress Series; Preface to Volume IX, Part A; Contributors; Porifera, N. Boury-Esnault and B.G.M. Jamieson; Cnidaria and Ctenophora, Peter L. Harrison and B.G.M. Jamieson; Platyhelminthes, Nikki A. Watson; Nemertea, Ake Franzen and Bjorn A. Afzelius; Rotifera, Giulio Melone and Marco Ferraguti; Gastrotricha, Maria Balsamo, Elena Fregni and Marco Ferraguti, Kinorhyncha, Andrey V. Adrianov and Vladimir V. Malakhov; Nematomorpha, Roberto Valvassori, Magda de Eguileor, Annalisa Grimaldi and Giulio Lanzavecchia; Acanthocephala, Marcella Carcupino and Bahram S. Dezfuli; Subject Index; Species Index.

This book achieves an invaluable, contemporary picture of the phylum as a whole - Derek Wakelin - Parasitology

Initially, this work was designed to document and study the diversification of modern mammalian groups and was quite successful and satisfying. However, as field and laboratory work continued, there began to develop a suspicion that not all of the Eocene story was being told. It became apparent that most fossil samples, especially those from the American West, were derived from similar preservational circumstances and similar depositional settings. A program was initiated to look for other potential sources of fossil samples, either from non-traditional lithologies or from geographic areas that were not typically sampled. As this program of research grew it began to demonstrate that different lithologies and different geographic areas told different stories from those that had been developed based on more typical faunal assemblages. This book is conceived as an introduction to non-traditional Eocene fossils samples, and as a place to document and discuss features of these fossil assemblages that are rare or that come from rarely represented habitats.

In aquatic ecosystems, the oligochaetes are often a major component of the community. Their relevance in sediment quality assessment is largely related to their benthic and detritivorous life habit. In this book, we aim to present the state of the art of Pollution Biology using oligochaete worms in laboratory and field studies. Future research will require the combination of a variety of methodological approaches and the integration of the resulting information, avoiding fragmented and often conflicting visions of the relationships of the species with their environment. Current approaches to ecotoxicology and bioaccumulation using ecological risk assessment provide the opportunity to relate community studies with probability of effects. This book addresses three main themes: Ecological and Field Studies using the composition and structure of oligochaete communities, Toxicology and Laboratory Studies, and Bioaccumulation and Trophic Transfer Studies. Two appendices list values of toxicological parameters (LC50, EC50) and several bioaccumulation variables (bioaccumulation factors, biological half-life, toxicokinetic coefficients, and critical body residues) for different oligochaete species. Additional information is provided on Methodological Issues and on the Taxonomy of several oligochaete families, with information on the most recent taxonomic debates. Each chapter includes a critical view, based on the authors experience, of a number of current issues which have been raised in the literature.

Echinoderms are now considered as a biological and geological model that underlies researches of primary importance. The extent of the contributions made by the International Echinoderm Conferences to various fields of research is attested by the scope covered by presentation at the international conferences. These proceedings contain the complete papers or abstracts of all the presentations and posters presented at the eighth International Echinoderm Conference, held in Dijon, France in September, 1994. Coverage includes: general; extinct classes; crinoids; asteroids; ophiuroids; holothuroids; and echinoids.

In a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, Elisabeth Tova Bailey shares an inspiring and intimate story of her encounter with a Neohelix albolabris—a common woodland snail.

While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence on her nightstand. As a result, she discovers the solace and sense of wonder that this mysterious creature brings and comes to a greater understanding of her own place in the world.

Intrigued by the snail’s molluscan anatomy, cryptic defenses, clear decision making, hydraulic locomotion, and courtship activities, Bailey becomes an astute and amused observer, offering a candid and engaging look into the curious life of this underappreciated small animal.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a remarkable journey of survival and resilience, showing us how a small part of the natural world can illuminate our own human existence, while providing an appreciation of what it means to be fully alive.

During the past quarter century, there has been a tremendous expansion in our knowledge about gastropods, their behavior and their neurobiology. We can understand a great deal about mammaliam nervous systems by studying the relatively larger and simpler structure of the gastropod nervous system. Behavior and its Neural Control in Gastropod Molluscs first reviews the broader aspects of molluscan biology and draws attention to the special features of the gastropod nervous system. The book then examines different types of behavior, reviewing progress in understanding the mechanisms of neural control, and emphasizing cases in which control can be attributed to identified neurons and indentified neural circuits.