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Journal of Experimental Biology 144,257-278 (1989)
Published by Company of Biologists 1989

Entrainment of the Swimmeret Rhythm of the Crayfish to Controlled Movements of Some of the Appendages

SIMON R. T. DELLER ¹ and DAVID L. MACMILLAN ²

¹ Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria. 3052, Australia
² Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria. 3052, Australia

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A machine was used to impose controlled movements, closely resembling natural movements, on some of the swimmerets of crayfish with their ventral nerve cords cut between thorax and abdomen. The rhythm of the unrestrained swimmerets could be entrained to the imposed frequency. Full entrainment occurred most readily when three or four swimmerets were controlled and was uncommon with two. When one was controlled, only partial entrainment was seen. A small proportion of preparations could not be entrained irrespective of the number of swimmerets controlled. Entrainment of the neural rhythm also occurred when movement was imposed on one or more swimmerets attached to an otherwise isolated nerve cord.

This is the first demonstration that sensory input affects the periodicity of the swimmeret rhythm. In the light of this result, the hypothesis that swimmeret rhythm is largely controlled by a central pattern generator should be viewed with caution. It now appears that there is also an influential sensory component responsible for stabilizing and adjusting the timing of the swimmeret rhythm.

Key words: crayfish, swimmeret, sensory entrainment

Accepted on January 10, 1989