Abstract
Ability of the freshwater leech, Poecilobdella viridis to withstand osmotic changes was investigated by following the fluctuations of the body weight in tap-water and in different salt concentrations. The salinity tolerance limit (lethal salt concentration) of this leech was found to be 1.54% NaCl which equilibrates approximately 51.359% sea-water. There was a significant weight loss in P. viridis when kept in both, hypo- and hypertonic media. It is concluded that volume regulation (through weight changes) was slight in hypotonic media whereas in hypertonic media there was an incessant decline in body weight. Adaptive significance of these findings is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boroffka, I. 1968. Osmotic and volume regulation in Hirudo medicinalis. Z. Vergl. Physiol., 57 (4): 348–375.
Chaucheprat, M. & de Puytorac, P. 1961. C.R.Soc. Biol., 155: 2323–2327.
de Puytorac, P. & Pinon, M. 1960. Archs Zool. expt. gen., 99: 23–43.
Dev, B. 1964. Nature, 202: 414.
Fletcher, K. C. 1970. The regulation of Ca++ and Mg++ in the brackish water polychaete Nereis diversicolor. J. exp. Biol., 53: 425–44.
Fletcher, K. C. 1974a. Volume regulation in Nereis diversicolor: I. The steady state. Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 47A: 1199–1214.
Fletcher, K. C. 1974b. Volume regulation in Nereis diversicolor: II. The effect of calcium, comp. Biochem. Physiol., 47A: 1215–1220.
Fletcher, K. C. 1974c. Volume regulation in Nereis diversicolor: III. Adaptation to reduced salinity. Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 47A: 1221–1234.
French, C. E., Liscinsky, S. A. & Miller, D. R. 1957. J. Wildlife Management, 21: 348.
Hanumante, M. M. 1975. Some aspects of Physiology of Indian earthworm. Ph.D. Thesis, Marathwada University, Aurangabad. India.
Hiscock, I. D. 1953. Osmoregulation in Australian freshwater mussels. I. Water and chloride exchange in Hyridella australis. Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res., 4: 317–329.
Kamemoto, F. I. 1964. The influence of brain on osmotic and ionic regulation in earthworms. Gen. Comp. Endocr., 4: 420–426.
Lohagaonkar, A. L. 1974. Biological studies on the clam, Lamellidens corrianus. Ph.D. Thesis, Marathwada University, Aurangabad, India.
Madanmohanrao, G. 1960. Salinity tolerance and oxygen consumption of the cattle leech, Hirudinaria granulosa. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., 11 (5): 211–218.
Mann, K. H. 1962. Leeches (Hirudinea). Their Structure, Physiology, Ecology and Embryology. Inter. Ser. Monographs on Pure and Appl. Sci. Zool. Div. II. Pergamon Press. The MacMillan Company, New York.
Mudkhede, L. M. 1974. Some biological aspects of the clam, Corbicula regularis. Ph.D. Thesis, Marathwada Univ. Aurangabad. India.
Nagabhushanam, R. & Lomte, V. S. 1971. Osmotic behaviour of the freshwater mussel, Parreysia corrugata. Hydrobiologia, 38: 247–52.
Oglesby, L. C. 1969. In: Chemical Zoology (M. Florkin and B. T. Scheer eds.) Vol. IV: 211–310. Academic Press, New York.
Potts, W. T. W. 1954. The inorganic composition of the blood of Mytilus edulis and Anodonta cygnea. J. exp. Biol. 31: 376–85.
Ramamurthi, R. 1962. Studies on the respiration of freshwater poikilotherms in relation to osmotic stress. Ph.D. Thesis, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. India.
Ramamurthi, R. 1965. Metabolic response to osmotic stress in some freshwater poikilotherms. Curr. Sci., 34: 351–352.
Ramamurthi, R. 1968. Oxygen consumption of the common Indian cattle leech, Hirudinaria granulosa to osmotic stress. Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 24: 283–287.
Reynoldson, T. B. & Davies, R. W. 1976. A comparative study of the osmoregulatory ability of three species of leech (Hirudinoidae) and its relationship to their distribution in Alberta. Can. J. Zool. 54(1): 1908–1911.
Rosca, D. I., Wittenberger, C. and Rusdea, D. 1958. Studii Cercetari Biol. Clug, 9: 114–136.
Saussey, M. 1966. Mem. Soc. Linn. Normandia (N.S.), 3: 1–158.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kulkarni, G.K., Hanumante, M.M. & Nagabhushanam, R. Some aspects of osmotic biology of the freshwater leech, Poecilobdella viridis (Blanchard). Hydrobiologia 56, 103–108 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00023346
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00023346