Polychaete

Polychaete worms belonging to the genera Nereis and Scolecolepides have extensive metabolic potential. Nereis virens is able to metabolize PCBs (McElroy and Means 1988) and a nnmber of PAHs (McElroy 1990), while N. diversicolor and Scolecolepides viridis are able to metabolize benzo[a]pyrene (Driscoll and McElroy 1996). It is worth noting that apart from excretion of the toxicant, polar, and mnch more water-soluble metabolites such as the glycosides formed from pyrene by Porcellio sp. (Larsen et al. 1998) may be mobile in the interstitial water of the sediment phase. 

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Regarding the polychaete Tomopteris, the author has briefly examined its bioluminescence using a few specimens donated by Dr. Steven Haddock. The specimens did not show a luciferin-luciferase reaction, as noted by Harvey (1952). The luminescence could be... 

Elimination of a cofactor needed for luminescence. The chelators EDTA and EGTA efficiently quench the luminescence of Ca2+-activated systems such as aequorin, obelin and mnemiopsin. The luminescence systems that require ferrous ions, such as extracts of the polychaete Chaetopterus, can be inhibited by 8-hydroxyquinoline and... 

Figure 4. Worm-hunting and snail-hunting Conus, (a) The ver-mivorous species Conus brunneus about to sting its polychaete worm prey, (b) The molluscivorous species Conus dalli stinging the snail prey, Columhella. Both Conus species were collected in the Gulf of California. Photographs by Alex Kerstitch.

Driscoll SK, AE McElroy (1996) Bioaccumulation and metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene in three species of polychaete worms. Environ Toxicol Chem 15 1401-1410. 

McElroy AE (1990) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism in the polychaete. Nereis virens Aquat Toxicol 18 35-50. 

Heme + f Ravin Polychaete Notomastus lobatus Cl Chen etal. (1991)... 

Chen YP, DE Lincol, SA Woodin, CR Lovell (1991) Purification and properties of a unique flavin-containing chloroperoxidase from the capitellid polychaete Notomastus lobatus. J Biol Chem 266 23909-23915. 

Army. 1994. Development of a chronic sublethal bioassay for evaluating contaminated sediment with the marine polychaete worm Nereis (Neanthes) arenaceodentata. Vicksburg, MS U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station Environmental Laboratory. Miscellaneous Paper D-94-5. 

The effects of decadienal (24) as well as of diatom extracts are not restricted to the reduction of copepod success. Low, micromolar concentrations of this compound also inhibits fertilization, embryogenesis, and hatching success in polychaetes and echinoderms. Crude diatom extracts as well as purified aldehydes inhibited these processes in a dose-dependent manner [80]. 

Scheme 11 Halogenated aromatic metabolites involved in the chemical defense of the polychaete Capitella sp.

Biota elimination tA = 2 d from rainbow trout, tA = 4.4 d from clam My a arenaria, tA = 8.0d from mussel Mytilus edulis, tA = 14.4 d from polychaete Abarenicola pacifica, lA = 21.7 d from Oyster, t,/2 = 2.4 d from shrimp (quoted, Meador et al. 1995). 

Bryan, G.W. and L.G. Hummerstone. 1973. Adaptation of the polychaete Nereis diversicolor to estuarine sediments containing high concentrations of zinc and cadmium. Jour. Mar. Biol. Assoc. UK. 53 839-857. 

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