Mollusks and pollution. A review

Abstract

MOLLUSKS ARE A MEGA-DIVERSE GROUP, SURPASSED ONLY BY INSECTS AND NEMATODES IN NUMBER OF SPECIES, BUT NOT IN DIVERSITY OF LIFE STRATEGIES AND OCCUPIED HABITATS; THEY CAN BE FOUND FROM DESERTS TO POLAR ZONES AND FROM THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN TO THE DEEPEST OCEAN TRENCH. BUT IT IS AT TROPICAL COASTAL LAGOONS WHERE THEY FIND THEIR MAXIMUM DIVERSITY AND FUNCTION; THERE ARE FIRST ORDER CONSUMERS IN BOTH HERBIVORE AND DETRITUS FOOD CHAINS, TO SECOND ORDER CARNIVORES AND SPECIALIZED PARASITES. THE PRESENCE OF SPECIALIZED AND OPPORTUNISTIC SPECIES EXPRESSES IN DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES AND POLLUTION. IN THIS WORK ARE ANALYZED THE RESPONSES AT INDIVIDUAL AND POPULATION LEVELS OF MOLLUSKS TO POLLUTION AND POLLUTANTS. ANALYZING BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGIC ADAPTATIONS FOR SURVIVAL AND THEIR USEFULNESS AS POLLUTION INDICATORS; GIVEN THE DIFFERENT RESPONSES AT AN INDIVIDUAL OR POPULATION LEVELS. BEARING IN MIND THE DIFFERENT RESPONSES AT INDIVIDUAL OR POPULATION LEVELS, OUR ANALYSIS INCLUDES BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS FOR SURVIVAL AND THEIR USEFULNESS AS POLLUTION INDICATORS. SUCH AS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF STENOBIOTIC SPECIES, ALLOWING THE MORE EURYBIOTIC SPECIES TO BECOME DOMINANT, OR FOR THEIR CAPACITY TO ACCUMULATE AND INCREASE POLLUTANT CONCENTRATIONS, AND THE PHENOMENON OF POLLUTANT-INDUCED CHANGES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS.