Summary
An optical method was developed to analyse gastric mill activity in intact and freely behaving lobsters over several days.
-
1.
In undisturbed animals the gastric mill reaches its highest level of activity, about 300 cycles per hour, in the first hour after the uptake of food. It then decreases and reaches its average-level of spontaneous activity of 10 to 40 cph nearly 40 h after feeding. Because of the limited cycle duration of the neural gastric mill oscillator this low activity can only be achieved by switching the oscillator on and off in bouts of several minutes each. Any disturbance to the animal interrupts the gastric mill cycling.
-
2.
Under normal conditions the gastric mill operates with a constant cycle duration of about 20 s from 5 to 15 h after feeding. The injection of eyestalk extract during this period causes a depression of gastric mill cycling lasting about 1 h.
-
3.
Bilateral eyestalk ablation causes enhanced gastric mill activity for a period of about 40 h.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aréchiga H (1974) Circadian rhythm of sensory input in the crayfish. In: Schmitt FO, Worden FG (eds) The neurosciences. Third study program. MIT Press, Cambridge London, pp 517–522
Aréchiga H, Mena F (1975) Circadian variations of hormonal content in the nervous system of the crayfish. Comp Biochem Physiol52A:581–584
Aréchiga H, Fuentes B, Barrera B (1973) Circadian rhythm of responsiveness in the visual system of the crayfish. In: Sálánki J (ed) Neurobiology of invertebrates. Publishing House of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, pp 403–421
Aréchiga H, Hubermann A, Naylor E (1974) Hormonal modulation of circadian neural activity inCarcinus maenas. Proc R Soc London Biol 127:299–313
Aréchiga H, Hubermann A, Martinez-Palomo A (1977) Release of a neurodepressing hormone from the crustacean sinus gland. Brain Res 128:93–108
Aréchiga H, Cabrera-Peralta C, Hubermann A (1979) Functional characterization of the neurodepressing hormone in the crayfish. J Neurobiol 10:409–422
Berlind A, Cooke IM (1970) Release of a neurosecretory hormone as peptide by electrical stimulation of crab pericardial organs. J Exp Biol 53:679–686
Bliss DE, Durand JB, Welsh JH (1954) Neurosecretory systems in decapod Crustacea. Z Zellforsch 39:520–536
Brown FA (1961) Physiological rhythms. In: Waterman TH (ed) The physiology of Crustacea, vol II. Academic Press, New York, pp 401–430
Dando MR, Maynard DM (1974) The sensory innervation of the foregut ofPanulirus argus. Mar Behav Physiol 2:283–305
Edwards GA (1950) The influence of eyestalk removal on the metabolism of the fiddler crab. Physiol Comp Oecol 2:34–50
Fleischer AG (1980) Der Einfluß sensorischer Afferenzen auf die Rhythmen des stomatogastrischen Systems der LangustePanulirus interruptus. Verh Dtsch Zool Ges 1980:335
Hartline DK, Maynard DM (1975) Motor patterns in the stomatogastric ganglion of the lobsterPanulirus argus. J Exp Biol 62:405–420
Kalmus H (1938) Das Aktogramm des Flußkrebses und seine Beeinflussung durch Organextrakte. Z Vergl Physiol 25:798–802
Keller R (1975) Natur und Funktion von Neurohormonen aus dem Augenstiel der dekapoden Crustaceen. Verh Dtsch Zool Ges 1975:47–58
Kleinholz LH (1966) Hormonal regulation of retinal pigment migration in crustaceans. In: Bernhard CG (ed) The functional organization of the compound eye. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp 151–166
Maynard DM, Dando MR (1974) The structure of the stomatogastric neuromuscular system inCallinectes sapidus, Homarus americanus andPanulirus argus. Phil Trans R Soc (Biol) 268:161–220
Maynard DM, Dingle H (1963) An effect of eyestalk ablation on antennular function in the spiny lobster,Panulirus argus. Z Vergl Physiol 46:515–540
Maynard DM, Sallee A (1970) Disturbance of feeding behavior in the spiny lobster,Panulirus argus, following bilateral ablation of the medulla terminalis. Z Vergl Physiol 66:123–140
Morris J, Maynard DM (1970) Recordings from the stomatogastric nervous system in intact lobsters. Comp Biochem Physiol 33:969–974
Naylor E, Williams BG (1968) Effects of eyestalk removal on the rhythmic locomotor activity inCarcinus. J Exp Biol 49:107–116
Page TL, Larimer JL (1975) Neural control of circadian rhythmicity in the crayfish. I. The locomotor activity rhythm. J Comp Physiol 97:59–80
Powers LW (1973) Gastric mill rhythms in intact crabs. Comp Biochem Physiol 46A:767–783
Roberts TW (1941) Evidences that hormonal inhibition of locomotion occurs for the crayfishCambarus virilis. Anat Rec Suppl 81:46–47
Schallek W (1942) Some mechanisms controlling locomotor activity in the crayfish. J Exp Zool 91:155–166
Selverston AI, Russel DF, Miller JP (1976) The stomatogastric nervous system: structure and function of a small neural network. Progr Neurobiol 7:215–290
Welsh JH (1961) Neurohumors and neurosecretion. In: Waterman TH (ed) The physiology of Crustacea, vol. II. Academic Press, New York, pp 281–311
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
I am greatly indepted to Prof. Dr. A. Selverston for introducing me to his field of research, the stomatogastric system of the lobster. I am obliged to Prof. Dr. T.H. Bullock for providing me with a lab with running sea-water at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla. I wish to thank Prof. Dr. A. Selverston and Dr. R.C. Hardie for critically reading the manuscript and M. Heusel for preparing the figures. This work was supported by DFG (Fl 119) and grants given to Prof. Dr. A. Selverston (NIH 2R01 NS 0 9322, NSF BNS 78-00250).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fleischer, A.G. The effect of eyestalk hormones on the gastric mill in the intact lobster,Panulirus interruptus . J. Comp. Physiol. 141, 363–368 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00609938
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00609938