Luminescence in polynoids III. Propagation of excitation through the nerve cord

Abstract

Luminescent polynoids emit light from their elytra. These structures are arranged in two longitudinal rows covering most or all of the dorsal surface of the worm. Light emission is evoked by stimulation and appears as a single flash or series of flashes (Nicol, 1953, 1957).When a polynoid is subjected to tactile stimulation, scales anterior and posterior to the stimulated region emit flashes. The response is a reflex, the excitatory pathways of which involve peripheral receptors, nerve cord, and a peripheral ganglion in each elytrum on the efferent side of the arc (Bonhomme, 1942; Nicol, 1954).