Defaecation in Relation to The Spontaneous Activity Cycles ofArenicola MarinaL.

Abstract

The behaviour of lugworms in sand was studied by recording kymographically the water movements through their burrows and observing the timing of defaecation. The worms ranged in weight from 2 6 to 186 g. Three types of apparatus were used, differing in the amount of space allowed to the worms.The worms often traced a characteristic pattern described elsewhere, consisting of regularly spaced diphasic excursions of the irrigation graph with a defaecation on the apex of each first phase. The interval between excursions was about 15–20 min. for worms weighing about 3 g. and increased with size to about 40 min.The worms sometimes traced similar periodic bursts of irrigation activity without defaecation.Many of the tracings were confused in pattern. The worms often defaecated—sometimes sporadically, sometimes at regular intervals—in the absence of the characteristic diphasic excursions. Restriction of a worm to a small space appears to favour the production of confused tracings.The relation between the irrigation patterns and the timing of defaecation is discussed.