Editorial Reviews - Mollusc Anatomy From the Publisher Chapters: Love Dart, Mollusc Shell, Gastropod Shell, Radula, Siphon, Operculum, Nacre, Digestive System of Gastropods, Periostracum, Byssus, Reproductive System of Gastropods, Sensory Organs of Gastropods, Respiratory System of Gastropods, Torsion, Pseudofeces, Suture, Mantle, Bivalve Shell, Aperture, Epiphragm, Nervous System of Gastropods, Whorl, Circulatory System of Gastropods, Excretory System of Gastropods, Caudal Mucous Pit, Umbilicus, Hepatopancreas, Columella, Sculpture, Suprapedal Gland, Pneumostome, Clausilium, Body Whorl, Spire, Protoconch, Varix, Apex, Nidamental Gland, Siphonal Notch, Siphonal Canal, Stromboid Notch, Lira, Semper's Organ, Osphradium. Excerpt: A love dart is a hard, long, sharp, calcareous or chitinous dart which some hermaphroditic land snails and slugs create. Love darts are made in sexually mature animals only, and are used as part of the sequence of events during courtship before actual mating takes place. Darts are quite large compared to the size of the animal: in the case of the semi slug genus Parmarion, the length of a dart may be up to one fifth that of the semi slug's foot. Prior to copulation, each of the two snails (or slugs) attempt to "shoot" one or more darts into the other snail (or slug). There is no organ to receive the dart; this action is more analogous to a stabbing, or to being shot with an arrow. The dart does not fly through the air to reach its target however; instead it is fired as a contact shot. The love dart is emphatically not a penial stylet (in other words this is not an accessory organ for sperm transfer). The exchange of sperm between both of the two land snails is a completely separate part of the mating progression. Nevertheless, recent research shows that use of the dart can strongl... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=19596586 Synopsis Chapters: Love Dart, Mollusc Shell, Gastropod Shell, Radula, Siphon, Operculum, Nac