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 Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by BRAFIELD, A. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by BRAFIELD, A. E.

Journal of Experimental Biology 88,367-374 (1980)
Published by Company of Biologists 1980

Oxygen Consumption by the Sea Anemone Calliactis Parasitica (Couch)

A. E. BRAFIELD ¹

¹ Department of Biology, Queen Elizabeth College, University of London, Campden Hill Road, London W8 7AH

Oxygen consumption by Calliactis parasitica, measured in a continuousflow polarographic respirometer, yielded a slope of 0·92 when plotted against body weight on log scales. This high value is discussed in terms of the sea anemone's basically laminate nature. Strip-chart records of the oxygen concentration of water which had just passed a specimen of Calliactis commonly showed rhythmic fluctuations, either of low amplitude and high frequency or high amplitude and low frequency (mean cycle lengths 11 and 34 min respectively). The fluctuations are explained in terms of rhythmic muscular contractions which irrigate the enteron for respiratory purposes. Analysis of the slow fluctuations indicates that the endoderm is responsible for about 18% of the total oxygen consumption.

The oxygen concentration of water in the enteron, measured and recorded continuously, was 4–27% of the air-saturation level. These strip chart records also frequently showed rhythmic fluctuations (mean cycle length 12 min), apparently resulting from the muscular contractions.