Some pathological aspects akin to sponge boring in molluscan shells

Boring sponges are considered to be a menace to the oyster beds and coral reefs in many parts of the world. In India too, where the molluscan population exists in fishable magnitude, the boring sponges pose a serious threat to their fishery. The main target of the boring sponge is the calcareous shell of the host and the techniques adopted by the sponge to gain entry into the hard parts of the host are the same for all the species of boring sponges.But the shells of the different species react differently to the intruder, namely the sponge. These reactions often produce a wide variety of pathological symptoms in the host. Several live shells infested by boring sponges have been collected during the years 1964-1978 from both natural and artificial beds and the pathological aspects have been investigated, the results of which are presented in this paper