Behavioural response of three nereid polychaetes to injection of sulfide inside burrows

Abstract

The behavioural response (ventilation rate, duration of ventilation bursts, length of pauses between ventilation bursts) of 3 closely related nereid polychaetes (Nereis virens, N. diversicolor and N. succinea) to various levels of sulfide exposure was investigated during spring and summer of 1992. The response to HSwas species specific. N. virens reacted strongly to HSby increasing the duration of ventilation bursts. Duration of rest periods was affected less severely while ventilation fa~led to show any significant vanation. The behavioural response of N. diversicolor did not show much variation under HSexposure. The only significant response was a decreased duration of rest periods at high HSconcentration. The type of reaction displayed by N. succinea was similar to the response of N. virens, although less pronounced. N. diversicolor removed most HSfrom the burrow in less than 10 rnin due to the generally high ventilation rate of this species. The slow removal of H S by the other 2 species is caused by a slower response and lower ventilation rate. The shape of the H S efflux curve indicated that changes in the response during exposure are important in N. virens and substantiate a possible toxic effect of HSN. diversicolor displayed the fastest recuperation following HSexposure (restored ventilation behaviour). For all species, time of recuperation increased with increasing sulfide concentration.