> Could someone straighten me out about the reproductive history of Crepidula
> fornicata? I thought that the smaller males on top of a stack fertilize the
> larger females below and as the males grow, they turn into females. However,
> I'm told that Peterson First Guides for Shells said "slipper snails possess
> both male and female sex organs. During spawning season the sexes alternate:
> males change into females and vice versa." Is this correct? Or does the
> "alternate" refer to the order in the stack? Do females turn into males, or
> are they hermaphroditic all along?

Sounds like they've mixed up Ostrea (which is about the only thing I
know of to switch sexes each season as described) with the protandrous
hermaphrodism of C. fornicata (males grow up into females; during the
transition they would have some of both sex organs but they don't
switch back and forth).

--
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"

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