Feeding and tube construction in chone mollis Bush (polychaeta, sabellidae)

The branchial crown of sabellids functions both in respiration and in the collection of suspended particulate matter from the surrounding water. The anatomy of the crown is such that the collected particles are size-sorted and either ingested, rejected, or stored for use in tube building. When compa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology 1972, Vol.9 (1), p.1-18
Main Author: Bonar, Dale B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chone mollis
Marine
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Summary:The branchial crown of sabellids functions both in respiration and in the collection of suspended particulate matter from the surrounding water. The anatomy of the crown is such that the collected particles are size-sorted and either ingested, rejected, or stored for use in tube building. When compared with many sabellids, Chone mollis Bush has only a rudimentary size-sorting mechanism; it sorts particles into large and small size classes, rejecting the former and ingesting the latter. Tube formation is a consequence of burrowing. Sand adhering to the mucous sheets secreted by the mucous cells of the epidermis forms the tube. There is no concerted effort by the branchial crown to construct a tube as is typically the case with many sabellids. Chone mollis can evacuate a tube if disturbed and quickly build another, a decided advantage for an animal in an estuarine environment subject to rapid sedimentation.
ISSN:0022-0981
1879-1697
DOI:10.1016/0022-0981(72)90002-0