039 - Mollusc special with Kerry Walton

The Deep-Sea Podcast

What do punk snails, turning 40 and Titipo the Little Train have in common? Thats right! The latest episode of the deep-sea podcast.

We might be a little late this month but we’ve packed in as much as we can with this one. We’re covering all the latest deep sea news, including new deep sea habitats, octopus gardens and brand new amphipod species. Plus, we hear from Becca Nicholls about her experiences of working as a woman offshore, and how old superstitions are still very much a thing.

Our very special guest this month is the fantatsic Kerry Walton from the Te Papa Museum in New Zealand. Kerry talks us through the weird and wonderful world of marine molluscs, from the deep to the not so deep, and what makes them fascinating to study.

We learn about the very interesting Chainmail snail (Chrysomallon squamiferum), or as some call it ‘the scaly-foot snail’ (but we all agree that ‘chainmail snail’ is way cooler). Plus we hear all about the unbelievable species of limpets that survive on baleen from whalefalls, and those that live on human hair in estuaries (?!?!).

Friend of the show, Susan Casey has also just released her new book The Underworld in which Dr Thom and the Professor make an appearance! In her newest novel, Susan takes us on a journey through the history of deep-sea exploration, from the myths and legends of the ancient world to the scientists who are just beginning to understand the mind-blowing complexity and ecological importance of the quadrillions of creatures who live in realms long thought to be devoid of life. It’s so great to see this book finally out there after years of hard work. Get yourself a copy here. Want to hear Susan’s episode of the podcast? Check it out here.

We’re really trying to make this project self-sustaining so we have started looking for ways to support the podcast. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:

James Fleming | Charne Lavery | Christopher Rawlins | Shona Riddell

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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FURTHER RESOURCES LINKS FROM KERRY’S INTERVIEW

Kerry Walton’s Research

The snail with a bivalve shell

Chainmail snail

Baleen eating limpet

Historic whalefall communities

FROM THE REST OF THE EPISODE

Thom’s appearance in the New Species Podcast

Alan’s appearance on the Fish of the Week Podcast

Thom’s appearance on the BBC’s Dark Places talk

NEWS

Exploring the Deep Sea: Ngā Kōrero Webinar Recap (seaweek.org.nz)

Caves and tunnels have been found under hydrothermal vents

Scientists confirm that octopuses use thermal springs in the deep sea to accelerate brooding time

Adorable little midshipmen fry in a depressing story

New genus of deep sea crustacean is established

SOUNDTRACK OF THE MONTH

Titipo the Little Train - Theme Song

Youtube

CREDITS

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - Dr Chong Chen

GLOSSARY

Baleen - The hair-like filaments found in certain whales which function similarly to teeth, to filter seawater for food.

Cephalopod - A member of the mollusc class consisting of squids, octopus, cuttlefish and nautilus.

Chirality - Chirality is a property of an item that means it cannot be superimposed on its mirror image, as seen in the left and right hands.

Chitinous - Made of chitin (the material that gives strength to the exoskeletons of crustaceans, insects and fungi walls).

Commensal relationship - A long-term biological interaction in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species are unaffected.

Conspecific - Belonging to the same species.

Dexterally - Latin for right-turning.

Keratin - A structural fibrous protein that forms hair and nails.

Mollusc - The second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals, after the Arthropoda. Includes snails, clams, osyters, limpets, octopus, squid etc.

Operculum - (In gastropods), it’s the firm structure on a snails foot which acts as a trapdoor to seal the soft body of the snail in it’s shell.

Sinisterly - Latin origin for left-turning.