Breathing Movements inEntobdella Soleae(Trematoda, Monogenea) from the Skin of the Common Sole

Abstract

An undulating movement of the body was observed inEntobdella soleae, a monogenean found on the blind surface of a mud-dwelling flat-fish,Solea solea, at Plymouth. The movement is described and shown to have a breathing function, the rate of undulation increasing with decreasing oxygen content of the ambient sea water and vice versa.The relationship between the movement and micro-habitat is discussed and the phenomenon is compared with breathing movements in other muddwelling animals.A similar movement was noted in three other skin-parasitic monogeneans:Acanthocotylesp. from Raiaclavata, Pseudocotyle squatinaefromSquatina squatinaandLeptocotyle minorfromScyliorhinus canicula.