Noctiluca miliaris Suriray is a well-known luminescent organism, and its light emission has been studied repeatedly. Hitherto, however, no attempt has been made to record the luminescent flashes of this species, either under normal conditions, or after experimental treatment. With the sensitive photo-electric recording methods now available it has become possible to subject the luminescent flashes of Noctiluca to experimental analysis, and with this end in view the present study of Noctiluca was undertaken.

Monthly mean sea-water temperatures in Plymouth Sound, prepared by the Plymouth City Meteorologist, are presented as data for ecological studies in this laboratory. In the last 40 years there has been a rise in mean temperature of about 0·3°C.

The two ‘tail-less’ lugworms, Arenicola ecaudata Johnston and A.branchialis Audouin and Mime-Edwards (= A.grubii Claparede), live in gravel and under stones, unlike the 'tailed' species which are found mainly in sandy beaches. Both are local in distribution compared with the wide-spread caudate species. A. ecaudata is known to occur from Iceland to northern Spain, and thus has a rather more boreal distribution than A. branchialis which ranges from the west coast of Scotland to Morocco, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. (Ashworth, 1912; Mclntosh, 1915; Fauvel, 1927; Rioja, 1935; WesenbergLundj 1951.) Neither species is known from the western side of the Atlantic.

Since the two species can often occur side by side and it appeared that they were adapted, not for life in different habitats, but for different temperature regimes, it was suggested to us by Prof. G. P. Wells, F.R.S., that an investigation of their breeding seasons at Plymouth might help in understanding their distribution and specific separation. It happened that we had already made some preliminary investigations in the Isle of Man, and we were therefore pleased to adopt Prof. Wells's suggestion.

Mature specimens of both species have been noted by previous workers. Ashworth (1912) found mature gametes in A. ecaudata at Port Erin in April and at Plymouth in August. Fauvel (1899) recorded mature worms at Cherbourg from March to October, while Hentschel (1930) believed spawning occurred at Plymouth in February-March and August-September.

Some features of the digestive and reproductive systems, as well as the habits and swimming of the pteropod Clione limacina have been studied from specimens of the dwarf ‘southern’ race, which occurs at Plymouth. The animal swims rapidly by the sculling action of its two short rounded ‘wings’ or parapodia. Its buccal mass is characterized by specialized prehensile organs, consisting—as well as the radula—of adhesive tentacles (cephaloconi) and a pair of hook sacs. The rest of the gut is simple, consisting chiefly of a ‘stomach’ formed by two spacious digestive diverticula, that have replaced the true stomach. The lining includes absorbing-digestive cells and excretory cells. C. limacina is a protandrous hermaphrodite. The size distribution of a sample of 338 is shown. The youngest specimens are all males; in older groups developing oocytes are found, and in the largest are eggs not yet ready for shedding (September), as well as sperms. The genital tract is of the primitive opisthobranch form, with a sperm-storing hermaphrodite duct, albumen gland and mucus gland. An external seminal groove leads forward to the penial sheath in the head. The structure of the penis and prostate is described, and some previous views on the nature and functioning of these parts are criticized. Finally, the relationships of the gymnosomatous and thecosomatous pteropods are briefly reviewed, and the use of separate orders is recommended in place of the recently revived single group Pteropoda.

Pennatula phosphorea Linn, is a well-known luminescent animal, which was studied by that pioneer investigator, Panceri (1871,1872 a, b). He found that the animal luminesces when excited, and that the light emanates from the zooids. From the region stimulated luminous waves proceed, with measurable velocity, to the extremities of the animal. Since waves can be initiated in either direction, up or down the colony, it follows that the transmission system is non-polarized. Recent studies on other species of pennatulids have shown that luminescence is under control of a nerve net (Nicol, 1955 a, b, c; Daven-port & Nicol, 1956). Harvey's book on Bioluminescence (1952) gives a review of pertinent literature, plus a bibliography.

In an earlier paper (Wilson & Wilson, 1956) there was described a large-scale stranding, on the shores of Cornwall and Devon in 1954, of the pelagic gastropod Ianthina janthina (L.). Most of the shells then collected were broken, but thirty-six were entire and measurements of these showed that, in spite of considerable variation in the proportion of width to height, the width is proportionately greater in young than in old shells. None of the 1954 shells was less than half an inch high, the majority being considerably higher. Two shells stranded at Sennen several years before, and the figure of one in a paper by Fowler (1947, as I. planispirata Adams & Reeve) were the only specimens less than half-an-inch high available for comparison with the larger ones. The measurements of these agreed with the general conclusion that as the shell grows it becomes proportionately less wide. In the past these variations in shell shape have been responsible for the erection of a number of different species. In order to establish the conclusion firmly it was desirable to examine a collection of young shells.

On 31 March 1957 Mrs M. Hicks wrote from St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, to say that on that day her husband had found eight small Ianthina, six of which had stranded alive on the afternoon's tide, the other two, one of them alive, earlier. Subsequently more were collected. On 8 April Miss Deborah Hicks (age 9) picked up about 130, some of them living, some apparently not.

The present notes (see also Wilson, 1949, 1953) are mainly concerned with the breeding habits of two fishes commonly kept in marine aquaria. These habits may be familiar to keepers of other large marine aquaria, but I have failed to find any account of them in scientific literature other than a very brief and inadequate description by Raffaele (1898, p. 328) of the nesting of Cantharus vulgaris (= Spondyliosoma cantharus) in the aquarium at Naples. The scientific names of species mentioned follow the Plymouth Marine Fauna third edition (Marine Biological Association, 1957)

In a previous paper (Hancock, 1955) an account was given of the feeding behaviour of the starfish Asterias rubens L. and the common sunstar Solaster papposus (L.) on Essex oyster beds. In discussion, it was stated that there was no evidence that, in the conditions described, a cultivated oyster ground provided a greater attraction than an uncultivated one. The present work was undertaken to provide information on this subject, and also on the movements, growth and ecological relationships of starfish. Further experiments were made on feeding behaviour, particularly of the young starfish.

It has been found that a reagent containing sulphuric acid, ammonium molybdate and ascorbic acid may be used as a single-solution reagent for the determination of phosphate in sea water. Development of the molybdenum-blue colour is complete in 24 h at room temperature and in 30 min at 60° C; the colour is stable for at least 3 days. Beer's law is obeyed closely up to at least 500 μg PO43−-P/1. The salt error is approximately 4% with sea water of chlorinity 19·3%. The interference due to either arsenate or silicate at their concentrations in sea water is negligible.

Although the biology of the oyster Ostrea edults has been well studied, its growth has received little attention. Orton (1928) worked on the populations in the Rivers Fal and Blackwater, but his conclusions have not been supported by Havinga (1928) or Korringa (1955), while America studies on Crassostrea virginica have given further evidence of the need for new investigations.

In early 1956 and again in 1957 small samples of mature female Plaice Pleuronectes platessa L. were collected for fecundity estimates to be compared with Simpson's (1951) results for the North Sea populations, and the data from elsewhere that Simpson summarizes.

The heart-bodies and some other tissues of a number of polychaetes have been examined chemically, and the porphyrin pigments from these tissues described. Coproporphyrin III was shown to be present in relatively large concentration in all the heart-bodies, together with traces of coproporphyrin I, a tricarboxylic porphyrin and protohaematin. The body wall of light (pink) and dark (brown) coloured Arenicola and of Amphitrite also contained these pigments in varying amounts. Other non-porphyrin pigments were also seen in the body wall of some animals, the most remarkable being a colourless compound with a bright blue-fluorescence occurring in Flabelligera. Evidence is presented which supports the view that the heart-body is an haematopoietic organ, and the significance of this is discussed. Parallels are drawn between the occurrence of free porphyrins in marine animals and the occurrence of such pigments in porphyrias in man.

The light energy emitted in a flash by single elytra of two polynoid worms has been measured, viz. Acholoë astericola and Lagisca extenuata. Maximal emission occurs at 515 mμ. Mean values for light intensity per flash from 1 elytrum are: Lagisca, 1·8 × 10−10 μJ/cm2 receptor surface at I m ; Acholoë, I·II × 10−8 μJ/cm2 receptor surface at I m. The light emitted in I flash by a single photocyte of Lagisca is 0·12 × 10−12 μJ/cm2 receptor surface at I m. It is estimated that the light from I elytrum of Lagisca could be seen by the dark-adapted human eye at 1·2 m in air.

The attached tube of P. triqueter is described with special reference to the calcareous grating which is usually found inside the posterior end of damaged tubes. An explanation of the morphology of the tube, and of the calcareous grating, is attempted with reference to an account of the mode of deposition characteristic of the worm.

A knowledge of growth rates is a pre-requisite in estimating the effect of fishing upon the available stocks. In Crustacea, where there is no known means of establishing accurately the age of the individual, the importance of measuring the growth rate is increased whilst its determination is made more difficult. In Homarus vulgaris some experiments were undertaken by Dannevig (1936), and Wilder (1953) gives considerable data for the American lobster. Results suggest that the growth increment is not uniform in all latitudes. Experiments to augment the limited data available for H. vulgaris and to establish the increase in size at moulting in local lobster stocks were therefore undertaken by the Marine Laboratory of the Scottish Home Department at Aberdeen. A statement of some preliminary results was given in Report on the Fisheries of Scotland (Lucas, 1957, p. 58).

Little is known about the occurrence of gallium in the biosphere. The first recorded instance of its detection in a living organism is due to Cornec (1919), who detected the element in Laminaria sp. Vinogradov (1935) suspected its presence in an undetermined gorgonian, but his statement that Zvinden had detected it in human tissue appears to be an erroneous citation (Hutchinson, 1943). Bertrand (1941) detected the element in oysters, and, after chemical concentration, in human urine.

A spectral emission curve for the light of Pholas dactylus has been determined by means of spectral niters and photomultiplier cell. Emission extends from about 440 to 670 mμ, with a maximum at about 490 mμ. The emission curve is compared with the action spectrum determined by Hecht.

The requirement for thiamine was examined in eleven marine protists of littoral, supra-littoral or neritic origin. Six were found to have an absolute requirement for the vitamin.

The thiamine-requiring Chrysophyta responded to the pyrimidine half of the vitamin, whereas the two thiamine-requiring Pyrrophyta responded to the thiazole half.

All the species requiring thiamine were auxotrophic with respect to at least one other factor (usually vitamin B12).

For half-maximal growth, species responding to pyrimidine required 100–300 mμg/1. pyrimidine or thiamine and species responding to thiazole 2000 mμg/1. thiazole or thiamine.

Three species of the polychaete genus Magelona are known from the neighbour-hood of Plymouth. One is the widely distributed M. papillicornis F. Müller, described first from the coast of Brazil (Müller, 1858) and subsequently frequently recorded for northern European coasts and the Mediterranean. Near Plymouth this species occurs in clean sand in the lower tidal region and offshore, as in Whitsand Bay. Of the other two species, one from clean sand near low water at Mill Bay, Salcombe, awaits description. The third has been known for many years but until now has not been recognized as an undescribed species. It was formerly abundant in the Rame Mud (a deposit of black sandy mud); thus Mare (1942, p. 542, as M. cincta Ehlers—a provisional identification by me) on 12 July 1939 found 120 per m, associated with large numbers of other polychaetes, lamellibranchs, etc. The locality was close to Ford's station No. 93 (Ford, 1923, chart facing p. 167, and p. 218 where the position is given as Rame Head, E. ½ N. Tregantle, N.½ E.). At this station on 20 February 1923 Ford had four specimens (recorded as M. papillicornis) from ⅕ m. On 11 August 1922 at station No. 53 close by (Rame Head, E., 1½ miles) he obtained thirteen specimens of the same species from 1/10 m, the substratum being black mud. Ford records papillicornis from other offshore mud or muddy-sand stations over a fairly wide area inside and outside Plymouth Sound, but in less abundance. It is certain that some of these records, especially those detailed above, are of the species taken by Mare and provisionally identified as cincta.

In 1954 and 1955 various natural, artificial and treated sea waters were tested with developing eggs of Echinus esculentus. The following are the main observations:

1. Sea waters filtered through Doulton candles at the time of collection and proved bacteriologically sterile until use were very little different from sea waters collected at the same time in the ordinary way and not sterile. (Expts. 1, 3, 8 and, with qualifications, 6.)

2. Undiluted Celtic sea bottom water and undiluted Celtic mud ‘extract’ were harmful to the eggs, but small volumes of both added to natural sea waters and to artificial sea water had a stimulating effect. (Expt. 1.)

3. In water from near the bottom at E1 eggs did worse, in 1954, than in surface water from the same locality. In 1955 they did slightly better in the deeper water. (Expts. 3, 4 and 7.)

4. Eggs placed immediately after fertilization in water from near the bottom at E1 (and from near the bottom at the Echinus ground) and transferred at first cleavage to surface waters were affected unfavourably. (Expts. 3, 4 and 7.) Artificial sea water had no such effect. (Expt. 5.)

5. The addition to natural and to artificial sea waters of filtrates from culture medium (‘erdschreiber’) and from thick cultures of diatoms and flagellates had no significant effects on the eggs developing in those waters. (Expt. 6.)

6. In 1955 surface water from the Clyde was a better medium for development than surface water from E1. The difference was similar to that frequently observed several years previously. (Expt. 7.)

7. Extracts of natural sea waters made by a new process were non-poisonous, but the experiment in which they were added to artificial sea water was inconclusive owing to the eggs proving to be of poor quality. (Expt. 8.)