Studies on the Adhesive Property of Snail Adhesive Mucus

Abstract

Many gastropod molluscs are known to secrete mucus which allow these animals to adhere to a substrate while foraging over it. While the mucus is known to provide strong adhesion to both dry and wet surfaces, including both horizontal and vertical ones, no systematic study has been carried out to understand the strength of such adhesion under different conditions. We report here results from preliminary studies on adhesion characteristics of the mucus of a snail found in eastern India, Macrochlamys indica. When perturbed, the snail was found to secrete its adhesive mucus, which was collected and subjected to regular adhesion tests. The hydrated mucus was used as such, and also as mixed with buffer of different pH. These experiments suggest that the mucus was slightly alkaline, and showed the maximum adhesion strength of 9 kPa when present in an alkaline buffer. Preliminary studies indicate that adhesive force is related to the ability of the mucus to incorporate water. In alkaline condition, the gel like mass that it forms, incorporate water from a wet surface and enable strong adhesion.