bacteria/worm symbiosis-mucus chem.

[John K. Weaver]

I also would appreciate any information about
(1) symbiosis between bacteria and polychaetes and 
(2) about the chemical composition of mucus envelopes of polychaete
worms.  The orbiniid worm I'm studing, Naineris dendritica, ingests
alot of woody debris which occassionally cuts through and splits the
body walls posteriorly.  There are also what appear to be mucoid-like
filiments which become entangled around the posterior sections of the
worms then constrict the flow of food material along the digestive
tract. These worms live in mucus envelopes within the rhizomes of the
Zostra eel-grass and I'm wondering if these mucus-like constrictions
may be purposely setup to aid passing clogged debris or originate some
other way ?  Thanks.

 John K. Weaver
 Department of Biological Sciences
 Humboldt State University
 Arcata, California  95519
 e-mail:  jkw1 at axe.humboldt.edu
 fax:    707  826-3201