The presented chapter will show the results of long-term researches (2004–2013), concerning the study of variability of the size-mass relationships in mollusks Rapana venosa from the northwestern part of Black Sea (Odessa region, Zmiyiny Island, Danube Delta, Karkinitsky, and Tendra Gulfs) and near the eastern coast of Crimea (Sudak Gulf). The comparative evaluation has been made on the relationships between the total mass of the mollusks, mass of its soft body, and wide shells on the one hand and the size of animals (shell height, diameter, and thickness) in each study area on the other hand. Furthermore, the study of the appearance of the imposex in female mollusks (the small “penis” presence), “biphallia phenomenon” in male individual, and potential dependence of the occurrence of such anomalies on the ecological state of the marine coastal areas will be presented.
Part of the book: Molluscs