Abstract
AbstractThe anatomy of the caudal heart of Myxine glutinosa is reviewed and a hypothesis of its mode of action is outlined. It is a double‐action force pump in which each stroke produces two results, the filling of one chamber and the emptying of the other. This hypothesis is supported by records of blood pressures (a) in the caudal vein, which show elevations of pressure as the left and right chambers are alternately emptied, and (b) in the subcutaneous sinuses, which show alternating reductions of pressure corresponding to the aspiration phases of the left and right sides. The caudal heart shows a diminishing sequence of bursts of activity following each bout of swimming; blood continues to flow slowly through the resting caudal heart. The conclusion is drawn that it is an auxillary venous pump, and it is compared with the lymph heart in the tail of teleost fish.
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