Abstract
The gastropod snailNassarius obsoletus shows a dramatic self-burial response to the presence of crushed conspecifics. After it was shown that this burial alarm response could be reliably replicated in laboratory tests, a further characterization of the alarm substance was undertaken. Dilution experiments showed a very high response threshold resulting in a short effective radius of the substance in agreement with earlier field reports. Longevity experiments showed that the substance had lost some activity after 16 hr standing over marsh mud in sea water at room temperature; it became inactive after 24 hr. Superthreshold concentration in sea water was not necessary to keep the snails buried: Mud apparently provides an adsorption surface which can remain a stimulus source for previously unalarmed snails, and snails tend to remain buried after a short exposure to alarm substance, even when given a fresh environment. The substance is present in the snail's blood and tissues and is passively released. A potential natural predator capable of such release isCarcinus maenas, the green crab. Predator odor alone did not cause burial alarm responses. Preliminary chemical analysis indicates that the substance is water soluble, heat stable, and of high apparent molecular weight (over 100,000). A comparison with fish alarm substance and response is made in a discussion of the possible evolution of chemically triggered alarm responses. It is argued thatN. obsoletus may have developed an alarm response to an existing nonspecific substance rather than a true alarm pheromone.
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This paper is based in part upon a thesis submitted by D.S. to Boston University for the degree of Master of Arts.
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Atema, J., Stenzler, D. Alarm substance of the marine mud snail,Nassarius obsoletus: Biological characterization and possible evolution. J Chem Ecol 3, 173–187 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00994144
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00994144