Shell banding pattern and chromosomal studies on the giant African snail, Achatina fulica (Bowdich) (Achatinidae: Gastropoda)

M.Jayashankar; R. Arun Kumar; M.S.Reddy; G.Venu; S. Ramakrishna

Volume : III, Issue : VII, July - 2014

Shell banding pattern and chromosomal studies on the giant African snail, Achatina fulica (Bowdich) (Achatinidae: Gastropoda)

M. Jayashankar, R. Arun Kumar, M. S. Reddy, G. Venu, S. Ramakrishna

Abstract :

A pioneer report on the shell banding, chirality (shell coiling) and chromosomal studies on populations of the giant African snail, Achatina fulica (Bowdich) (Achatinidae: Gastropoda) occurring in Bangalore region is detailed in this paper. Shell coiling in A. fulica was found to be dextral and significant variation in banding pattern within and between populations was observed. The chromosome number from well spread diakinesis and metaphase stages of meiosis in ovotestis is found to be n=30 and 2n=60, which is similar to earlier works, also the similarity in different stages is in agreement with the earlier reports.