QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sokolove, P. G. Articles by Gelperin, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sokolove, P. G. Articles by Gelperin, A.

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 66, Issue 1 47-64, Copyright © 1977 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

A circadian rhythm in the locomotive behaviour of the giant garden slug Limax maximus

PG Sokolove, CM Beiswanger, DJ Prior and A Gelperin

The locomotor activity of the garden slug Limax maximus was examined for components of circadian rhythmicity. Behavioural (running wheel) studies clearly demonstrated that the activity satisfies the principal criteria of circadian rhythmicity. In constant darkness at a constant temperature, the locomotor activity freeran with a period of about 24 h (range 23-6-24-6 h). The rhythm was also expressed in constant light with a period for individual slugs that tended to be shorter in LL than in DD. The period of the rhythm was temperature compensated (11-5-21-5 degrees C) with a Q10 approximately equal to 1-00. The locomotor rhythm could be entrained to 24 h LD cycles such that the circadian activity peak occurred during the dark. The phase angle between the onset of activity and lights-off was not fixed, but was a function of the photoperiod of the entraining light cycle.