Opisthobranch molluscs show an evolutionary trend to reduce, internalize and lose the shell. Many of them base their defensive strategies on natural deterrent products and current evolutionary theory suggests that the acquisition of chemical defences preceded shell reduction and loss, which has characterized the evolution of this group. Here we show that basal, shelled opisthobranch molluscs are defended agains...
This work was carried out in a shallow eutrophic coastal lagoon (St. André lagoon, SW Portugal) which is artificially opened to the sea each year in early spring. Macrophytes, mainly Ruppia cirrhosa, are keystone species in this ecosystem covering up to 60% of its total area with peak biomasses over 500 g DWm−2. The main objectives were to study ecosystem metabolism, to evaluate the metabolic contribution to th...
The main objectives of this work were to synthesise information on the autoecology of Ruppia cirrhosa Petagna (Grande) in a mathematical model and to use the model to simulate its growth, production and harvest. Model parameters were allowed to vary as a result of acclimation, following experimental data reported in the literature. Biomass data from Santo André lagoon (SW Portugal) were used to calibrate the mo...
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