Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T05:25:35.176Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Decreased Discrimination During Setting After Prolonged Planktonic Life in Larvae of Spjrorbis Borealis (Serpulidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

E. W. Knight-Jones
Affiliation:
Marine Biology Station, University College of North Wales, Bangor

Extract

Laboratory experiments showed that freshly liberated Spirorbis larvae settle on surfaces which bear previously settled individuals, in marked preference to bare controls, but that larvae which have been kept swimming for 3 hr., or longer, exercise less choice when setting.

When larvae are freshly liberated there is a great difference between the rate of setting gregariously, and the rate of setting in isolation; but after they have been kept swimming for 3 hr. this difference becomes less, owing to the larvae setting more rapidly both gregariously and in isolation. After swimming for about 8 hr. rates of setting fall off, and many larvae fail to settle, apparently through weakness.

I am greatly indebted to Dr D. J. Crisp for advice regarding this problem, and to him and Mr G. M. Spooner for much help with statistical treatment.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1953

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Fisher, R. A. & Yates, F.J 1948. Statistical Tables for Biological, Agricultural and Medical Research. London.Google Scholar
Knight-Jones, E. W., 1951. Gregariousness and some other aspects of the setting behaviour of Spirorbis. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc, Vol. 30, pp. 201–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thorpe, W. H., 1948. The modern concept of instinctive behaviour. Bull. Animal Behaviour, Vol. 1, pp. 112.Google Scholar
Thorson, G., 1950. Reproductive larval ecology of marine bottom invertebrates. Biol. Rev., Vol. 25, pp. 145.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, D. P., 1952. The influence of the nature of the substratum on the metamorphosis of the larvae of marine animals, especially the larvae of Ophelia bicornis Savigny. Ann. Inst. Ocean, T. 27, pp. 49156.Google Scholar
Wilson, D. p., 1953. The settlement of Ophelia bicornis Savigny larvae. The 1951 experiments. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., Vol. 31, pp. 413–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar