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Journal of Experimental Biology 53,425-443 (1970)
Published by Company of Biologists 1970

The Regulation of Calcium and Magnesium in the Brackish Water Polychaete Nereis Diversicolor O.F.M

C. R. FLETCHER ¹

¹ Zoology Department, University of Leeds, Leeds LS 2 9JT

1. Nereis diversicolor tolerates changes in the concentration of calcium and magnesium in its coelomic fluid proportional to the concentrations in the medium between chlorosities of 100-1000 mM/kg of water.

2. In lower salinities both ions are maintained relatively constant providing that the ratios of these ions to chloride in the medium are similar to the ratios in sea water.

3. The ratio of the concentration of calcium in the coelomic fluid to the concentration in the medium is a function of the salinity of the medium but not of the calcium concentration.

4. Both calcium and magnesium are at lower electrochemical potentials in the coelomic fluid than in the medium, indicating that it is not necessary to invoke active uptake.

5. The rate of calcium influx is substantial.

6. In salinities below to mM of chloride/kg of water the urine must contain less calcium than the coelomic fluid.

7. The significance of these results is discussed.