The Settlement of Ophelia Bicornis Savigny Larvae. The 1951 experiments

Abstract

Further tests on the settlement reactions of Ophelia bicornis larvae have shown that both Bullhill Bank and Salthouse Lake sands are less favourable to the larvae after sterilization than they are when fresh and untreated. The effect of a large variety of treatments of both sands has been investigated under conditions where the larvae were free to choose between two or more samples of sands presented together in the same dish. Results from these experiments, taken in conjunction with results obtained using conical vessels, show that sands may be classed as attractive, neutral or repellent with intermediate grading between these three main categories. It is concluded that organic material, living or dead, on the sand grains plays an important role in rendering a sand attractive or repellent to the larvae.