Environmental control of reproduction in Perinereis nuntia var. brevicirrus

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1994-11, Vol.74 (4), p.903-918
• Main Authors: Hardege, J.D., Bartels-Hardege, H.D., Yang, Y., Wu, B.L., Zhu, M.Y., Zeeck, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Marine; Polychaeta
• ISSN: 0025-3154; 1469-7769
• DOI: 10.1017/S0025315400090135

Perinereis nuntia brevicirrus (Grube 1857), collected from a rocky shore at Qingdao (China) were cultured under different temperature, daylength and moonlight regimes. Ripe individuals were found in the field after an increase of water temperature in early summer, with a semilunar spawning peak from the beginning of June to the end of September. In laboratory experiments, daylength has no influence on maturation and reproduction. Temperature-controlled culture produces gravid, reproducing specimens at any time of the year after an increase in water temperature. For reproduction both sexual partners leave their burrows and swarm at the water surface in the early morning, performing a nuptial dance. The spawning behaviour, the nuptial dance and the release of gametes, are controlled by sex pheromones which are present in the coelomic fluid of mature worms. A sex pheromone from Platynereis dumerilü, 5-methyl-3-heptanone, is found in Perinereis nuntia brevicirrus and causes an increase in swimming activity during reproduction and the release of a small amount of sperm from males. This signal induces the release of eggs by the females followed by the release of masses of sperm by the male due to a second female pheromone.