Exploring the Mineral Composition, Structure, and Function of a Freshwater Bivalve Adhesive

Abstract: Etheria elliptica is a freshwater oyster that produces an adhesive that hardens underwater, allowing them to attach to other oysters, rocks, wood, and other natural substrates, producing complex oyster bed communities. Despite the importance of the adhesive in oyster bed formation, little is known about its chemical composition, structure, or mechanical properties. Through a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x‐ray photoemission electron microscopy (X‐PEEM), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, microhardness testing, and nanoindentation, it is found that the oyster adhesive consists entirely of aragonite nanoparticles that clump together into crystallites of varied shape, size, and orientation. The crystallite clumping density varies from the exterior of the adhesive to the interior, with the adhesive closest to the prismatic layer generally being denser. With this variation in density comes a variation in material properties with the exterior adhesive layer being softer and more flexible and the interior adhesive layer being harder and less elastic, or more similar to the prismatic and nacre shell structures produced by the E. elliptica. The resultant material exhibits varied materials properties, despite similar mineral composition.

Location
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
Extent
Online-Ressource
Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Exploring the Mineral Composition, Structure, and Function of a Freshwater Bivalve Adhesive ; day:03 ; month:05 ; year:2024 ; extent:9
Advanced materials interfaces ; (03.05.2024) (gesamt 9)

Creator
Metzler, Rebecca A.
Zaborowsky, Julia
Nichols, Leon
Underhill, Jack
Tregidga, Jack
Rogers, Chelsea
Rende, Deniz
Bouillon, Steven
Gillikin, David P.

DOI
10.1002/admi.202300954
URN
urn:nbn:de:101:1-2405031434064.409811249325
Rights
Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
Last update
14.08.2025, 10:52 AM CEST

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Associated

  • Metzler, Rebecca A.
  • Zaborowsky, Julia
  • Nichols, Leon
  • Underhill, Jack
  • Tregidga, Jack
  • Rogers, Chelsea
  • Rende, Deniz
  • Bouillon, Steven
  • Gillikin, David P.

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