Abstract
Abstract. It is well known that the competent larvae of many marine invertebrate species can be stimulated to metamorphose by exposing them to elevated concentrations of certain ions, neuroactive substances, and pharmacological agents. In this study we report that larvae of the euryhaline polychaete Capitella sp. I are induced to metamorphose within 24–48 h by reducing salinity from 30%‰ to 12–15%‰. At 10%‰, however, fewer larvae metamorphosed and the normal metamorphic response to sediment was inhibited; competence was restored within 3 h of transferring the larvae back to full strength seawater (30%‰). Larvae also metamorphosed within 24 h in response to increased external cadmium concentrations of 1000–2000 μg 1–1. Further understanding of how reduced salinity and elevated cadmium stimulate (or inhibit) metamorphosis may lead to a better understanding of signal perception and transduction in this and other species.
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