The Adaptation of Gunda Ulvae to Salinity

1931 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-81
Author(s):  
E. WEIL ◽  
C. F. A. PANTIN

1. The effect of fresh waters and dilute solutions on the behaviour and water exchange of the estuarine flatworm, Gunda ulvae, has been studied. 2. In Plymouth tap water which contains little dissolved substances the majority of the worms die within 48 hours. While immersed in this water the worms swell rapidly during the first hour to about double their volume in sea water, the volume falling slightly after this. The effect is reversible. 3. In dilute sea water the worms swell to a greater extent the greater the dilution. At great dilutions the swelling is much less than would be expected if the worm behaved as though it were covered with a perfectly semi-permeable membrane. 4. In water from the stream which normally flows over the Gunda at low tide the swelling of the worms is much less than in Plymouth tap water or in distilled water. This stream-water is rich in CaCO3. 5. The effects of distilled water and of solutions of NaCl, NaHCO3, glycerol, CaCl2 and of Cambridge tap water are compared with the effects of Plymouth tap water and the stream water. It is found that the beneficial effects of the stream water can be imitated only by the solutions containing calcium. 6. The mode of action of calcium is discussed. It is suggested that it acts primarily by lowering the permeability of the worms to water.

1931 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-94
Author(s):  
C. F. A. PANTIN

1. The rate of loss of salts by the estuarine worm, Gunda ulvae, on transference from sea water to various dilute solutions has been studied by measurement of the electric conductivity of the solutions. 2. Salts are lost by the worms from the moment of immersion in dilute solutions. Conditions affecting the rate of loss of salts are discussed. 3. The relation between the amount of salts lost and the total electrolyte content of the worm was determined. It is shown that the worms only lose 25 per cent. of their salts during the time that they imbibe a volume of water from the dilute solution equal to their initial volume. 4. The limiting internal salt concentration of worms surviving in waters containing calcium is about 6-10 per cent. of the normal concentration in sea water. No such limiting value can be found for distilled water, since salts are lost continuously till cytolysis occurs. The significance of the limiting concentration is discussed. 5. The effect of osmotic pressure, pH, dilute solutions of NaCl, NaHCO3, glycerol, CaCl2 and CaCO3 are studied. The presence of calcium reduces the rate of loss of salts. Other factors do not seem to influence this rate. 6. The relation of calcium to the maintenance of normal permeability to water and salts in the worm, and the significance of this to the problem of migration into fresh water are discussed.


Previously described observations on the chemotaxis between gametes of certain Fucaceae have been confirmed, and photomicrographs obtained which illustrate some of the aspects of the natural fertilization process and the capillary technique for detection of chemotaxis. Dilute solutions in sea water of a number of simple organic compounds-hydrocarbons, ethers, esters-have been found to simulate the cell-free preparations from Fucus eggs and cause attraction of the spermatozoa of F. serratus and F. vesiculosus in the same manner. Indications are that the mode of action is primarily physical in nature. Initial attempts to identify the natural volatile chemotactic principle with the aid of the mass spectrometer have afforded inconclusive results which are discussed.


1992 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Watanabe ◽  
S. Sakai ◽  
H. Takatsuki

Examination of individual degradation paths (biodegradation and photolysis) of butyltin compounds (especially tributyltin: TBT) in natural waters was performed. Biodegradation of TBT and dibutyltin (DBT) in an unfiltered sea water in summer is rather fast; their half life is about a week. But pretreatment with glass fiber filter makes the half life of TBT much longer (about 80 days). Photolysis of TBT in sea water by sun light is rapid (half life is about 0.5 days), and faster than in distilled water or in fresh water. Degradation rates of each process for TBT are calculated in various conditions of sea water, and contribution rates are compared. Biodegradation will be the main degradation process in an “SS-rich” area such as a marina, but photolysis will exceed that in a “clean” area. Over all half lives of TBT in sea water vary from 6 days to 127 days considering seasons and presence of SS.


2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 479-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Mato ◽  
L. M. Casás ◽  
J. L. Legido ◽  
C. Gómez ◽  
L. Mourelle ◽  
...  

1968 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-358
Author(s):  
D. W. SUTCLIFFE ◽  
J. SHAW

1. A quantitative study of sodium influx and loss was made on populations of Gammarus duebeni obtained from four freshwater localities in Ireland. 2. Characteristic features of sodium regulation in animals from the four localities were as follows, (a) The sodium influx increases gradually with increasing external sodium concentrations, but a maximum (saturation) level is abruptly reached at an external concentration of 1-2 mM/l. and the transporting system is half saturated at about 0.5 mM/l. sodium, (b) Over the range of sodium concentrations found in fresh waters a low rate of sodium uptake is sufficient to balance sodium losses at concentrations down to between 0.5 and 0.25 mM/l. At lower concentrations the influx is increased and the loss rate is reduced. (c) Calculations suggest that hypotonic urine containing approximately 40 mM/l sodium is produced at external concentrations ranging from fresh water to 40 % sea water. At external concentrations below 0.25 mM/l. sodium the urine concentration is probably reduced to well below 40 mM/l. sodium. 3. A detailed comparison is made of sodium regulation at external concentrations ranging between 0.07 and 1 mM/l. sodium in G. duebeni from fresh water in Ireland and from fresh water and brackish water in Britain. It is suggested that G. duebeni in Ireland constitutes a distinct physiological race adapted for living in fresh waters with relatively low sodium concentrations.


1963 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-193
Author(s):  
M. J. WELLS

1. A method of teaching Octopus chemotactile discriminations is described. 2. The animals can be shown to be capable of distinguishing by touch between porous objects soaked in plain sea water and sea water with hydrochloric acid, sucrose or quinine sulphate added. 3. They can detect these substances in concentrations at least 100 times as dilute as the human tongue is capable of detecting them in distilled water. 4. They can be trained to distinguish between equimolar (0.2 mM) solutions of hydrochloric acid, sucrose and quinine. 5. They can also be trained to distinguish between sea water and fresh water or half-strength sea water or sea water with twice the usual quantity of salt. 6. The function of the ‘olfactory organ’ is discussed. 7. Chemotactile learning is discussed in relation to the means by which Octopus finds its way about the territory around its ‘home’


1964 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-511
Author(s):  
P. S. MEADOWS

1. A simple method is described for determining the substrate preferences of Corophium volutator (Pallas) and Corophium arenarium Crawford. 2. If offered a choice of its own substrate with that of the other species each prefers its own. 3. Level of illumination and colour of substrate have little effect on choice. An animal's size and hence its age has little effect on its substrate preferences. 4. C. volutator prefers a substrate previously maintained under anaerobic conditions, C. arenarium vice versa. 5. Treatments which kill, inactivate, or remove micro-organisms render sands unattractive to Corophium. These include boiling, acid-cleaning, drying, and soaking in fixatives or distilled water. Attempts to make these sands attractive again failed. 6. Distilled water, and solutions of the non-electrolytes sucrose and glycerol at the same osmotic pressure as sea water, induce many bacteria to desorb from sand particles; smaller numbers are desorbed in the presence of solutions of electrolytes at the same ionic strength as sea water (NaCl, Na2SO4, KC1, MgSO4, MgCl2, CaCl2). Of all these, only distilled water and solutions of MgCl2 and CaCl2 reduce the attractive properties of sands. Hence the loss of bacteria from the surface of sand grains, though related to the ionic strength and composition of the medium, is not necessarily associated with a substrate becoming unattractive.


2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 797-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Neal ◽  
P. Shand

Abstract. A survey of surface, spring and borehole waters associated with the ophiolite rocks of Cyprus shows five broad water types (1) Mg-HCO3, (2) Na-SO4-Cl-HCO3, (3) Na-Ca-Cl-SO4-OH-CO3, (4) Na-Cl-SO4 and (5) Ca-SO4. The waters represent a progression in chemical reactivity from surface waters that evolve within a groundwater setting due to hydrolysis of the basic/ultrabasic rock as modified by CO2-weathering. An increase in salinity is also observed which is due to mixing with a saline end-member (modified sea-water) and dissolution of gypsum/anhydrite. In some cases, the waters have pH values greater than 11. Such high values are associated with low temperature serpentinisation reactions. The system is a net sink for CO2. This feature is related not only to the hydrolysis of the primary minerals in the rock, but also to CaCO3 or Ca-Mg-CO3 solubility controls. Under hyperalkaline conditions, virtually all the carbon dioxide is lost from the water due to the sufficiently high calcium levels and carbonate buffering is then insignificant. Calcium sulphate solubility controls may also be operative when calcium and sulphate concentrations are particularly high. Keywords: Cyprus, Troodos, ophiolite, serpentinisation, spring, stream, water quality, bromide, iodine, boron, trace elements, hyperalkaline.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document