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Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 201, Issue 20 2857-2865, Copyright © 1998 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Functional partitioning of energy reserves by larvae of the marine bryozoan Bugula neritina (L.)

E Hunter, K Okano, Y Tomono and N Fusetani
Fusetani Biofouling Project, ERATO, JRDC, c/o Yokohama R&D Centre of Niigata Engineering Co. Ltd, Shin-isogo-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama 235, Japan. e.hunter@cefas.co.uk

The effects of extended swimming on short-lived lecithotrophic larvae of the marine bryozoan Bugula neritina (L.) were examined. Larvae were forced to swim for 2 or 24 h by bath application of serotonin. Settlement and metamorphosis success were significantly reduced, larval dimensions were unaffected and ancestrulae were smaller after 24 h of swimming. Larvae settled predominantly on seawater-conditioned glass after 2 h, but became less discriminative after 24 h. Lipid content in intact larvae and dissociated surface ciliated and interior cell fractions was analysed by thin-layer chromatography. Hydrophilic lipids were unaffected by swimming regime. The hydrophobic fraction contained triglyceride, confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) analysis and correlation spectroscopy (1H-1H COSY) patterns, which was significantly depleted after 24 h, and diacylglycerol, which was not. NMR spectra suggested no differences in fatty acid chain compositions between larvae swimming for 2 and 24 h. Triglyceride depletion was limited to the ciliated cell fraction. We propose that the functional partitioning of lipid reserves has evolved in association with the costs and benefits linked with larval dispersal.




© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1998