Hancock's organ

Summary

Hancock's organ is a lateral concealed sensory organ of gastropods,[1] a chemo-sensory sense organ found in some sea snails.[2] This organ is found in most of the shelled opisthobranchs.[2]

A microphoto of Hancock's organ (ho) of a sea slug Pseudunela marteli.
A microphoto of head region of Pseudunela marteli shows position of Hancock's organ (ho) near eye (ey) and rhinophore (rh).

A great majority of the bubble shells and sea slugs of the orders Acteonoidea and Cephalaspidea have Hancock’s organs.

References edit

  1. ^ Hancock, A., (1852). Observations on the Olfactory Apparatus in the Bullidae. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History Vol.IX – Series 2 188-190.
  2. ^ a b Schrödl M. & Neusser T. P. (2010). "Towards a phylogeny and evolution of Acochlidia (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 158: 124-154. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00544.x.