New records of anthozoan species (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Hexacorallia) for the Turkish Straits System

This study includes new records of soft corals found in the Turkish Straits System (Dardanelles) between 2013-2014. In the above-mentioned area, 50 stations were searched by scientific divers from the intertidal zone to a depth of over 45 m and the ecological characteristics with substrate differences were also recorded. A total of 47 cnidarians were examined during the surveys. Eleven anthozoan species (Aiptasia mutabilis, Alcyonium acaule, Andresia parthenopea, Calliactis parasitica, Cereus pedunculatus, Condylactis aurantiaca, Epizoanthus couchii, Maasella edwardsi, Pteroeides spinosum, Sarcodictyon roseum, Veretillum cynomorium) belonging to 4 orders are new to the Dardanelles strait, one of which is reported from the Marmara Sea. The current data contributed to the advancement of the knowledge about anthozoan species in the Turkish Seas.

The role of L-Dopa in the nervous system of sea anemones: a putative inhibitory transmitter in tentacles

1. l-Dopa evokes transitory inhibition of spontaneous contractions of tentacle longitudinal muscles in sea anemones. It also modulates spontaneous contractions of the sphincter muscle in isolated preparations and whole animals. 2. Extracellular recordings from the tentacles of Calliactis parasitica show that l-Dopa evokes bursts of electrical events apparently associated with a local nerve net. 3. We propose that l-Dopa be added to the growing list of putative transmitter substances in sea anemones, its action being to coordinate local inhibition of spontaneous tentacle contractions.

A method for recording electrical activity from the body wall nerve nets in sea anemones

Glass microelectrodes were used to record electrical activity from thin rings cut from the column of the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica. This is the first time that pulses have been recorded from the nervous system in the column. Three pulse types were detected, types A, B and C. Type A pulses are probably associated with neurones of the through-conducting nerve net. Type B pulses may be from the endodermal slow conduction system (SS2). Type C pulses have not previously been recorded and are thought to represent activity in a local nerve net. At this stage we cannot positively state whether the recordings are intracellular from endodermal myoepithelial cells or are extracellular from the sub-epithelial region.