Torsion and Detorsion in Gastropoda
Definition: Torsion (twisting) is the rotation of visceral organs in anticlockwise direction through an angle of 180° on the rest of the body during larval development. The phenomenon takes place in the free-swimming (veliger) larva of gastropods and converts the symmetrical larva into an asymmetrical adult. Contraction of the larval retractor muscles and differential growth are possibly responsible for such [...]