Studies on Chaetopterus variopedatus (Renier). I. The light-producing glands

J. A. Colin Nicol

doi:10.1017/s002531540001290x

Studies on Chaetopterus variopedatus (Renier). I. The light-producing glands

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s002531540001290x ◽

1952 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 417-433 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

J. A. Colin Nicol

Keyword(s):

Sea Water ◽

Chaetopterus Variopedatus ◽

Glandular Cells ◽

Epidermal Glands

Chaetopterus variopedatus (Renier) is a tube-dwelling worm that has note worthy luminescent powers. Production of light is by an extracellular process resulting from the discharge of a luminescent slime into the sea water. Because of its luminescent ability, the epidermal glands of Chaetopterus have been repeatedly described in detail, but it is still not clear what elements produce the luminescent secretion. I have, therefore, re-examined the histology of the light-producing regions of Chaetopterus with a view to determining the character of the photocytes or light-producing glandular cells.

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Spontaneous activity patterns in animal behaviour: the irrigation of the burrow in the polychaetes Chaetopterus variopedatus Renier and Nereis diversicolor O. F. Müller

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315400052851 ◽

1951 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 661-680 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

G. P. Wells ◽

R. Phillips Dales

Keyword(s):

Spontaneous Activity ◽

Small Volume ◽

Sea Water ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Animal Behaviour ◽

The Other ◽

Nereis Diversicolor ◽

Arenicola Marina ◽

Water Currents ◽

Chaetopterus Variopedatus

Simple methods for recording the water currents, which many polychaetes drive through their tubes, are described. The circulation may be either open (the worm having access to large amounts of well-aerated sea water) or closed (in which case the worm can circulate a small volume only, and there is no oxygenacion or removal of excretory products).When on open circulation, both Chaetopterus variopedatus and Nereis diversicolor often trace quite regularly cyclical patterns for hours at a stretch. Each species has several possible patterns, and may change from one to another without evident external cause. The tracings of each species differ from those of the other, and also from those of Arenicola marina, which were described elsewhere.

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Studies on Chaetopterus variopedatus (Renier). III. Factors affecting the light response

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315400003738 ◽

1952 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 113-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

J. A. Colin Nicol

Keyword(s):

Dorsal Surface ◽

Light Response ◽

The Body ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Gland Cells ◽

Chaetopterus Variopedatus ◽

Distal Surface ◽

Glandular Cells

Luminescence inChaetopterus is an extracellular phenomenon and is due to the secretion of photogenic material by certain glandular cells in definitely circumscribed regions of the body. These gland cells are eosinophihc elements scattered singly or massed together in dense aggiegations in certain regions. They are particularly abundant in the epithelium covering the distal surface of posterior notopodia, and in two glandular areas on the dorsal surface of the aliform notopodia. These two regions also display the brightest luminescence (Nicol, 1952 a).

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Fatigue of the luminescent response of Chaetopterus

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315400003556 ◽

1954 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 177-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

J. A. C. Nicol

Keyword(s):

Sea Water ◽

Dorsal Surface ◽

Repetitive Stimulation ◽

Luminescent Material ◽

Glandular Cells

When stimulated in some suitable manner Chaetopterus secretes a luminescent material into the surrounding sea water. The luminescent secretion is discharged fromglands which are widely dispersed over the surface of the animal; the most conspicuous are two glandular patches on the dorsal surface of segment XII. Secretory materialis forced out of the cells by some contractile process; discharge is not merely theresult of secretion pressure. Under repetitive stimulation the intensity of the luminescent response decreases owing to the intervention of fatigue. Fatigue has been interpreted as a gradual exhaustion of luminescent material in the glandular cells (Nicol, 1952b,c).The present investigation seeks to analyse the onset and progress of fatigue in greater detail.

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