Physiology and histology of the Cubomedusæ: including Dr. F.S. Conant's notes on the physiologyBerger, E. W. (Edward William)
Science
Physiology and histology of the Cubomedusæ: including Dr. F.S. Conant's notes on the physiology
Berger, E. W. (Edward William)
Cubomedusae
It may here be of interest to note a few observations made by myself at
Wood’s Holl, Mass., on a beautiful Olindiad, which is abundant in the
Eelpond at the above place. I found that in a room, in the ordinary light
of evening, the animals swam actively; but the moment the electric light
was turned on they stopped swimming and settled to the bottom or attached
themselves to a branch of some weed or stem suspended in the water.
This was the result in every trial. It is found, further, to be little
active during the brighter parts of the day, when one must dip quite deep
with a net in order to obtain it. A similar observation is also made by
Murbach[II], who further states that this medusa may be deceived into
laying its eggs by placing it in the dark.
One cannot help but remark how analogous is the behavior of medusæ, in
respect to light and darkness, to the behavior of many of the higher
animals,--and medusæ are among the most lowly organized of the animal
creation.
Were one to conclude from the behavior of Charybdea in light and darkness
in the laboratory, that it remained on or near the bottom in the daytime
but became more active near or at the surface evenings, nights and early
mornings, one would probably not be far from the truth. Dr. Conant,
while towing near the bottom with a weighted net, in water four to five
feet (1.2-1.5 m.) deep not far from shore and deeper farther out, found
Charybdea in abundance mornings and afternoons, but very few in the
evening. In the evening some few were usually taken in the surface tow.
(See Introduction, Occurrence and Activity.)
Again, who knows but that Charybdea is active during the day, on the
bottom where it was dredged (the light there would only be moderate),
and quiet at night. This supposition would seem to be true, at least,
for those forms of Cubomedusæ that live in deep water. We can hardly
suppose that they should regularly rise to the surface from great depths
and become active. This much we do know that bright light inhibits
Charybdea’s activities, while it probably would not be active in perfect
darkness.
I do not know just what interpretation to put upon Conant’s finding
Charybdea at Port Henderson at the surface during the early part of the
forenoon, before the sea-breeze roughened the water (“Cubomedusæ” p. 7).
This fact hardly fits in with my conclusions above. Perhaps Charybdea’s
habits vary with its habitat.
Finally, while I find no experimental evidence in Conant’s notes about
what parts of Charybdea are sensitive to light, yet it would seem
preposterous, from histological evidence and from Romanes’ results on
Sarsia, to doubt that the eyes of the marginal bodies are the seat of
this stimulation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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