Beyond the sea: Crepidula atrasolea as a spiralian model system

Area of Science:

• Marine biology
• Developmental biology
• Gastropod research

Background:

• Crepidula atrasolea, the black-footed slipper snail, is a calyptraeid gastropod.
• It shares a sedentary, filter-feeding, protandrous lifestyle with the Atlantic slipper snail, Crepidula fornicata.
• C. atrasolea presents advantages as a developmental model over C. fornicata.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce Crepidula atrasolea as a novel model organism for biological studies, particularly within the Spiralia.
• Provide comprehensive guidelines for the collection, transport, and laboratory maintenance of C. atrasolea colonies.
• Present a developmental transcriptome for C. atrasolea to support future research in gene expression and function.

Main Methods:

• Detailed protocols for animal collection, transportation, and aquarium setup.
• Observation and description of early developmental stages.
• Generation of a developmental transcriptome from early cleavage to late organogenesis.

Main Results:

• C. atrasolea exhibits a short generation time (under six months) and year-round reproduction.
• Direct development with encapsulated embryos hatching as advanced juveniles after three weeks of brooding.
• A developmental transcriptome is provided, covering key developmental stages.

Conclusions:

• Crepidula atrasolea is a highly suitable and advantageous model organism for developmental biology research in Spiralia.
• The provided husbandry and developmental data facilitate its adoption by the research community.
• The developmental transcriptome serves as a valuable resource for future functional genomics studies.