Aplysia behavioral biology: II. Induced burrowing in swimming A. brasiliana by burrowed conspecifics

Aspey, Wayne P.; Blankenship, James E.

doi:10.1016/s0091-6773(76)90662-3

Cited by 31 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Because individuals surfaced at sunset and burrowed at sunrise, a photically entrained circadian rhythm is the most probable underlying factor. A circadian locomotor activity cycle has been observed in Aplysia californica, which normally forages during the day (Kupfermann, 1967), although, in contrast to H. physis, burrowing in Aplysiidae is infrequent and may be related to reproductive activity, at least in A. brasiliana (Aspey & Blankenship, 1976).…”

Section: Daily Activity Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Factors regulating the breeding and foraging activity of a tropical opisthobranch

Hamel

Mercier

2006

Hydrobiologia

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This study investigated the influence of environmental factors on the foraging cycle, breeding activity, settlement and growth of the opisthobranch Hydatina physis using laboratory trials and field observations. Results showed that H. physis follows a nocturnal circadian rhythm mediated by photic intensity and modulated by food availability. The adults foraged between 1900 and 0530 h, with an activity peak between 2000 and 2200 h, and remained inactive and burrowed in the sand during the day. This pattern was clearly influenced by cloud cover, rain and laboratory manipulated light:dark cycle. The reproduction of H. physis was primarily influenced by the lunar cycle. For 4 consecutive months, hermaphroditic reciprocal copulation, preceded by pre-copulatory courtship behaviour, occurred at night 5-7 d before the full moon. Spawning occurred 3-5 d later for up to 5 consecutive nights, the egg mass gradually decreasing in size with each spawning. An overcast sky or rain prevented or delayed both copulation and egg release. Settlement of veligers was largely influenced by the nature of the substrate. In multiple-choice experiments, settlement occurred predominantly on sand containing cirratulid polychaetes. The juveniles reached ca. 3.9 mm in shell length after 5.5 months growth.

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Section: Daily Activity Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Factors regulating the breeding and foraging activity of a tropical opisthobranch

Hamel

Mercier

2006

Hydrobiologia

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“…1983Susswein et al. , 1984, and behavioral studies have shown that egg-laying animals with cordons are more attractive than sexually mature but nonlaying conspecifics (Aspey and Blankenship, 1976;Jahan-Parwar. 1976;Audesirk.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Aplysia Attractin, the First Water-borne Peptide Pheromone in Invertebrates

Painter

Clough

Garden

et al. 1998

The Biological Bulletin

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Although animals in the genus Aplysia are solitary during most of the year, they form breeding aggregations during the reproductive season. The aggregations contain both mating and egg-laying animals and are associated with masses of egg cordons. The egg cordons are a source of pheromones that establish and maintain the aggregation, but none of the pheromonal factors have been chemically characterized. In these studies, specimens of Aplysia were induced to lay eggs, the egg cordons collected and eluted, and the eluates fractionated by C18 reversed-phase HPLC. Four peak fractions were bioassayed in a T-maze. All four increased the number of animals attracted to a nonlaying conspecific and were thus subjected to compositional and microsequence analysis. Each contained the same NH2-terminal peptide sequence. The full-length peptide ("attractin") was isolated from the albumen gland, a large exocrine organ that packages the eggs into a cordon. The complete 58-residue sequence was obtained, and it matched that predicted by an albumen gland cDNA. Mass spectrometry showed that attractin is 21 wt.% carbohydrate as the result of N-linked glycosylation. T-maze bioassays confirmed that the full-length peptide is attractive. Attractin is the first water-borne peptide pheromone characterized in molluscs, and the first in invertebrates.

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“…Laboratory experiments suggest that the egg layer or its egg cordon are potential sources of pheromones that attract conspecifics and induce mating activity (A. brasiliana. Aspey and Blankenship, 1976;Jahan-Parwar, 1976;Painter el a/.. 1989;A. californica, Jahan-Parwar, 1976;Audesirk, 1977); there is also evidence suggesting that they induce egg laying (A. californica.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative Contributions of the Egg Layer and Egg Cordon to Pheromonal Attraction and the Induction of Mating and Egg-laying Behavior in Aplysia

Painter

Chong

Wong

et al. 1991

The Biological Bulletin

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Many species of the opisthobranch mollusk Aplysia form breeding aggregations during the reproductive season. The aggregations contain both mating and egg-laying animals, and are associated with egg cordons. Although pheromones play a significant role in developing and maintaining the aggregations, little is known about the active factors. Behavioral studies have shown that egg-laying animals are more attractive than nonlaying animals, have shorter latencies to mating, and induce conspecifics to lay eggs. As a first step toward isolating and chemically characterizing the active factors, we examined the relative importance of the egg layer and egg cordon as sources of pheromonal activity in Aplysia brasiliana. T-maze experiments showed that both animal-derived and cordon-derived factors are attractive, and that the animal-derived factors are specifically associated with egg layers. Extracts of the atrial gland--an exocrine organ secreting into the oviduct--increased the attractiveness of nonlaying animals when placed in the surrounding seawater, suggesting that the "cordon-derived" aggregation pheromones may be products of the atrial gland. Mating studies showed that both animal-derived and cordon-derived factors induce mating, and that the animal-derived factors are associated with both egg layers and nonlayers. In contrast, neither animal-derived nor cordon-derived factors induced egg laying. Comparable results were obtained with either one or two animals in the chamber, suggesting that the accessibility of a potential mate did not influence the results. The lack of effect may result from the low-probability nature of egg-laying activity.

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Aplysia behavioral biology: II. Induced burrowing in swimming A. brasiliana by burrowed conspecifics

Cited by 31 publications

References 15 publications

Factors regulating the breeding and foraging activity of a tropical opisthobranch

Factors regulating the breeding and foraging activity of a tropical opisthobranch

Characterization of Aplysia Attractin, the First Water-borne Peptide Pheromone in Invertebrates

Relative Contributions of the Egg Layer and Egg Cordon to Pheromonal Attraction and the Induction of Mating and Egg-laying Behavior in Aplysia

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