Further Studies in the Behavior of Commensal Polychaetes

Abstract

tory) remain in the plankton for some 30 days, nevertheless only successful breeding and settling experiments will give us the answer. SUMMARY 1 . A new water-table test apparatus for the investigation of commensal response behavior is described.

Reproduction and development of three symbiotic scale worms (Polychaeta: Polynoidae)

“…Arctonoe spp. have long been the focus of attempts to understand the role of symbiont behavior in establishing host-use patterns (e.g., Davenport 1950;Davenport & Hickok 1951;Hickok & Davenport 1957;Gerber & Stout 1968;Dimock & Davenport 1971;Britayev 1991). These studies have examined host preferences of adult worms, and have almost invariably found that these prefer the host from which they were collected.…”

On feeding and behaviour ofOphiodromus flexuosus(Delle Chiaje) andNereimyra punctata(O.F. Müller) (Polychaeta, Hesionidae)

“…Chemical receptors appear to have a longer range since the species seem very sensitive to organic substances, and these can be widely transported by currents. Well-developed chemical receptors among hesionids are also indicated by studies on commensal P. pugettensis which locate their hosts by such receptors (Hickok & Davenport 1957).…”

“…Some hesionids show commensalistic tendencies (Clark 1956, MacGinitie & MacGinitie 1968), among them P. pugettensis which may either be free living or live associated with echinoderms. Hickok & Davenport (1957) showed that chemical attractants playa major role in host location among commensal individuals of this species.…”

THE FEEDING BIOLOGY OFPODARKE PUGETTENSIS(POLYCHAETA: HESIONIDAE)

“…Detection of vibration is unlikely to be important with these food items, although size selection may occur. Commensal individuals of Podarke have been shown (Bartel and Davenport, 1956;Hickok and Davenport, 1957) to locate host asteroids by chemosensory ability. I am grateful to R. R. Strathmann, acting Director of Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, for making the laboratory facilities available and providing supporting funds which made this work possible.…”