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Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 118, Issue 1 405-421, Copyright © 1985 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Body hydration and haemolymph osmolality affect feeding and its neural correlate in the terrestrial gastropod, Limax maximus

CB Phifer and DJ Prior

When terrestrial slugs (Limax maximus) are dehydrated to 65-70% of their initial body weight (IBW) their feeding responsiveness is greatly decreased. There is a 90% decrease in feeding responsiveness when slugs are injected with hyperosmotic mannitol solution that raises the haemolymph osmolality to that of slugs dehydrated to 65-70% IBW (i.e. 200 mosmol kg-1 H2O). The duration of the Feeding Motor Programme (FMP) that can be recorded from an isolated CNS-lip preparation is reduced by increasing the osmolality of the saline bathing the preparation. The osmolality of the saline that can modify the FMP corresponds to that of the haemolymph of a slug dehydrated to 65-70% IBW. The pattern of the motor programme is not affected. A gradual increase in saline osmolality which temporally mimics the progressive increase in haemolymph osmolality of a dehydrating slug also causes a decrease in the duration of the FMP. The neural network underlying the FMP appears to adapt to hyperosmotic saline since the duration of FMP bouts gradually returns to normal levels after long-term exposure (6-8 h).