The Biological Bulletin, Vol 186, Issue 3 319-327, Copyright © 1994 by Marine Biological Laboratory

NEUROBIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR

Cooling-Induced Activation of the Pericardial Organs of the Spiny Lobster, Panulirus japonicus

T. Kuramoto and M. Tani
Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba 5-10-1, Shimoda, Shizuoka 415, Japan

Ligamental nerves, extensions of the pericardial neurohemal organ of the spiny lobster, produce compound action potentials during cooling of the body, and become silent with warming. Heart-activators released from the pericardial organs into perfusate were collected from the antennule and leg stumps. The perfusate samples were bioassayed using the isolated heart and cardioarterial valves. The extent of heart activation was greatest in samples obtained during the first phase of cooling and was lowest during the initial phase of rewarming. The levels of cardioexcitor substances were clearly related to the firing behavior of the ligamental nerves. Moreover, one of the active factors produced responses identical to octopamine, a known pericardial organ amine. It is proposed that octopamine is released from the ligamental nerve terminals into the blood during cooling of the body.

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