An investigation on the swimming reaction of the anemoneStomphia coccinea. II. Histological location of a reacting substance in the asteroid dermasterias imbricata

✍ Scribed by Ward, Jack A.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1965
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 584 KB
• Volume: 158
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1401580310

✦ Synopsis

The sea anemone, Stomphia coccinea, propels itself through the water by a series of whip-like swimming motions when stimulated by the asteroid Dermasterias imbricata. It has been previously concluded that the reacting substance is located only in the coelomic fluid and in the aboral surface of this asteroid. The general histology of the body wall of Dermasterias indicates this asteroid is atypical to other asteroids. The dermis of the aboral surface is unique. This tissue has a spherule cell which is abundant, measures 28-32 . u and is not found on the lateral or oral surfaces.

Histochemically the material in dermal spherules correlates well with the chemical properties of a stimulatory carbohydrate previously isolated from this tissue. It is probable that the stimulatory substance that causes Stomphia to swim is related to or identical with this material.

A prey-predator relationship for the swimming response cannot be substantiated for the specific case of Dermasterias as the stimulatory asteroid. The response can only be considered a chemoreceptive phenomenon.