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What happens when a veliger larva metamorphoses into a crawling snail?
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gastropod
The common snail (Helix aspersa).
When a veliger larva metamorphoses into a crawling snail, several significant physiological changes occur as the organism transitions from a planktonic, swimming existence to its adult form:
- Loss of larval structures: The large, ciliated lobes known as the velum, which the larva used for swimming, feeding, and gas exchange, are resorbed or lost. Additionally, special excretory cells located near the mouth and the larval heartāwhich functioned specifically to provide circulation within the velar lobesādisappear.12
- Development of adult features: The juvenile snail continues to develop its foot and shell, which began forming during the veliger stage.1
- Growth: Following metamorphosis, the juvenile enters a phase of rapid growth until it reaches sexual maturity, at which point growth typically slows or ceases as the animal diverts its energy toward reproduction.2
This transformation marks the end of the veliger's time in the plankton and the beginning of its life as a benthic or crawling organism.2