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Abstract
Field observations on a population of Metridium senile indicate that a greater percentage of the anemones is expanded when the tide is running than at slack water. Observations of anemones subjected to different current velocities and food concentrations in a laboratory flow tank reveal that current has the greatest effect on tentacle expansion and column elongation, and that the interaction of current and food is also highly significant. Food alone is scarcely effective, and the response of anemones to it depends on their expansion state prior to the start of the experiment. The role of current as the principal cause of expansion in Metridium is discussed in terms of the animal's body plan and what is known of its sensory receptors. Energetic considerations suggest that this current-related behavior maximizes the amount of food-carrying water filtered per unit time and minimizes maintenance costs, since expanding to assume the feeding posture causes an increased metabolic rate. The energy savings may be manifested in the high growth efficiencies in sea anemones relative to actively-swimming coelenterates.
Published Version
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