Effects of Feeding and of Chemical Stimulation on the Oxygen Uptake of Nassarius Reticulatus (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia)

Abstract

Nassarius reticulatus, like most other members of the Nassariidae and Buccinidae, is a scavenger. It apparently relies on the rapid detection and location of a food supply which is intermittently and unpredictably available. The olfactory reactions of Nassarius species are well-adapted for finding dead or damaged animals (Copeland, 1918). Stimuli indicating the presence of food provoke an impressive increase in activity of most starved Nassarius (Dimon, 1905; Copeland, 1918). Recently-fed whelks, however, often fail to respond to the same stimuli (Crisp, in preparation).