James Mahaffy,
> I ran across information in the second edition (1977) of Edwards and
> Lofty's Biology of earthworms (p. 105) that I think may be a typo.
> They say that giant nerve fibers in annelids (I assume Lumbricus
> terrestris) transmit impulses at 600 meters per second.
In Stephenson (1930) "The Oligochaeta" the rate is given as 1.5 metres
per second for earthworms. In Barrington (1967) "Invertebrate structure
& function" the earthworm rate is 17 to 25 m/sec for the median giant
fibre. Laverack (1963) "The physiology of earthworms" has the same
figure and gives three journal sources for the original works done in the
1930's - 40's.
The annelid speed king is more likely to be a polychaete, being altogether
rather more quick-witted and alert creatures that like to get out of the way
before being chomped, but I do not have anything to hand that will tell us
whether 600 m/s is conceivable and not a lapsus as one might suspect.
--
Geoff Read <g.read at niwa.cri.nz>
http://www.annelida.net/
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