Dear Annelida Subscribers,
I am working (with Nicole Phillips) on a paper describing
feeding by larvae of the polynoid Arctonoe vittata.
Planktotrophic larvae of polynoids (and other
scaleworms) bear a bundle of long cilia attached posterior
to the prototroch, on the left side of the mouth. This
bundle of cilia plays an important role in feeding in A.
vittata, and probably in other scaleworms. Can anyone
out there help us with these questions concerning the
distribution of this trait among polychaetes?
1. does anyone know if any members of the
Aphroditidae or Polyodontidae have planktotrophic
larvae, and if so, do they bear a similar bundle of cilia on
the left side of the mouth? We have been unable to find
any descriptions of development in aphroditids or
polyodontids.
2. do nephtyid larvae also bear such a bundle of long
cilia? D.P. Wilson (J. Mar. Biol. Ass., U.K., 21:305, 1936)
described early trochophores of Nephtys hombergi as
having a "curious long tuft" of cilia on the left side of the
mouth; his figured larva looks much like a polynoid larva.
He raised these larvae from gametes stripped from
adults, so it is very unlikely that he identified them
wrongly! We have not found confirming reports of this in
N. hombergi or other nephtyids.
Any references or personal observations would be
greatly appreciated. This message will also appear in the
next Chaetozone; I'm just too curious to wait.
Bruno Pernet
Friday Harbor Laboratories
620 University Rd
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
e-mail: pernetb at zoology.washington.edu.
