Ventilation and oxygen uptake by three species of Nereis (Annelida: Polychaeta). I. Effects of hypoxia

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
O2 consumption of N. virens, N. succinea and N. diversicolor were measured during gradually decreasing O2 tensions. Two techniques were employed to determine the effect of muscular activity on O2 consumption: worms free in water, using respirometer; worms in polyethylene tubes simulating natural conditions with additional measurements of ventilation, using a direct flow-sensing technique. For these polychaetes muscular movements of the entire body provided the basis for both motor and ventilatory activity. When free in water all 3 nereids showed conformity of O2 consumption during lowered O2 tension, exhibiting uncontrolled and variable motor activity. In tubes, the worms showed conformity at high O2 tensions and variable degrees of regulation at intermediate tensions. N. succinea exhibited a wide range of regulation (30-140 mm Hg); N. virens was a weak regular (30-70 mm Hg) and N. diversicolor revealed intermediate regulatory abilities (30-90 mm Hg). O2 regulation at intermediate tensions was due to compensatory responses of ventilation (behavioral regulation) and O2 extraction (physiological regulation). A correlation appeared to exist between regulatory ability of the species and reducing capacity of preferred sediment types; thus a good regulator (N. succinea) commonly is found living in muddy sediment of high organic content; the weakest regulator (N. virens) prefers sandy sediments of low organic content.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: