Abstract
A population of Cirratulus cirratus (O. F. Müller) was sampled from September 1966 to September 1968. The population is found intertidally in crevices at Cullercoats Bay, Northumberland (UK). Measurements of the sexual maturity and size of the animals have been made. The breeding season is not restricted, spawning occurs in the population asynchronously throughout the year. Ripe worms and worms that have just spawned are invariably present, but the majority of females are always at intermediate stages of oogenesis. Adult males, however, always contain active spermatozoa. Females, but not males, are devoid of coelomic gametes after spawning; a new generation of coelomic oocytes begin to accumulate in the coelom after 30 days. The growth of the coelomic oocytes is relatively slow, the coelomic phase of oocyte development takes between 1 and 2 years for completion. The coelomoducts which serve for the emission of the gametes are described. An interpretation of the female population structure based upon length and sexual maturity data suggests that most females survive to spawn 2 or 3 times, and some to spawn 4 or 5 times. They grow in length by about 2 cm in the period between successive spawnings. The reproduction of Cirratulus cirratus is compared with that of other annelid species breeding throughout the year, and this unusual mode of reproduction is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Cassie, R. M.: The analysis of polymodal frequency distributions by the probability paper method. N. Z. Sci. Rev. 8, 89–91 (1950).
Caullery, M. and F. Mesnil: Les formes épitoques et l'évolution des cirratuliens. Annls Univ. Lyon 39, 1–198 (1898).
Courtney, W. A. M.: On some aspects of the biology of the cirratulid polychaetes. 183 pp. Ph. D. Thesis, University of London 1958.
Cunningham, J. T.: On some points in the anatomy of Polychaeta. Q. Jl microse. Sci. 28, 239–279 (1888).
— and G. A. Ramage: Polychaeta Sedentaria of the Firth of Forth. Trans. R. Soc. Edinb. 33, 635–684 (1888).
Dales, R. P.: Notes on the reproduction and early development of the cirratulid Tharyx marioni (St. Joseph) J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 30, 113–117 (1951).
Fauvel, P.: Annélides polychètes des Iles Falkland. Archs Zool. exp. gén. 55, 417–482 (1916).
Flatteley, F. W. Notes on the ecology of Cirratulus (Audouinia) tentaculatus (Montagu). J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K., 2, 60–70 (1916).
Garbarini, P.: Rythme d'émission des larves chez Spirorbis borealis Daudin. C. r. Séanc. Soc. Biol. 112, 1204–1205 (1933).
—: Rythmes de croissance des oocytes et d'incubation des larves chez Spirorbis borealis Daudin. C. r. Séanc. Soc. Biol. 122, 157–158 (1936).
George, J. D.: The life history of Cirriformia (= Audouinia) tentaculata. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 44, 47–65 (1964).
—: The effect of the 1962–63 winter on the distribution of the cirratulid polychaetes Cirratulus cirratus (Muller) and Cirriformia tentaculata (Montagu) in the British Isles. J. Anim. Ecol. 37, 321–337 (1968).
Goodrich, E. S.: The study of nephridia and genital ducts since 1895. Q. Jl microsc. Sci. 86, 113–392 (1946).
Harding, J. P.: The use of probability paper for the graphical analysis of polymodal frequency distributions. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 28, 141–153 (1949).
Howie, D. I. D.: Dried organic substances as food for larval annelids. Nature, Lond. 181, 1486–1487 (1958).
Jouin, C.: Sexualité et biologie de la reproduction chez Mesonerilla Remane et Meganerilla Boaden (Archiannélides Nerillidae). Cah. Biol. mar. 9, 31–52 (1968).
Kensler, C. B. and D. J. Crisp: The colonisation of artificial crevices by marine invertebrates. J. Anim. Ecol. 34, 507–516 (1965).
Khlebovitch, V. V.: Concerning the two forms of a polychaete Cirratulus cirratus (Muller). Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR (Biol. Sci. Sect. Translations). 123, 1004–1005 (1958).
Knight-Jones, E. W.: Gregariousness and some other aspects of settling behaviour in Spirorbis. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 30, 201–222 (1951).
Krishnan, G.: On the nephridía and coelomoducts of the Serpulimorpha and Cirratulidae. Proc. natn. Inst. Sci. India 16, 1–16 (1950).
Laubier, L.: Adaptations chez les annélides polychètes interstitielles. Année biol. 6, 1–16 (1967).
Lewis, D.: Some aspects of the biology of Fabricia sabella. Ph. D. Thesis, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1964.
McIntosh, W. C.: Report on a collection of annelids dredged off Northumberland and Durham. Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. 4, 118–120 (1872).
Meyer, E.: Studien über den Körperbau der Anneliden. Mitt. zool. Stn Neapel 7, 592–741 (1887).
Morton, J. E.: The crevice faunas of the upper intertidal zone at Wembury. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 33, 183–224 (1954).
Okuda, S.: Studies on the development of Annelida Polychaeta I. J. Fac. Sci. Hokkaido Univ. 9, 115–219 (1946).
Southward, E. C. and A. J. Southward: The breeding of Arenicola ecaudata Johnston and A. branchialis Aud. and Edw. at Plymouth. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 37, 267–286 (1958).
Stephenson, W.: The development of Cirratulus cirratus (Muller). Rep. Dove mar. Lab. (Ser. 3) 11, 7–20 (1950a).
—: An epitokous cirratulid occurring in the Cullercoats tanks. Rep. Dove mar. Lab. (Ser. 3) 11, 21–30 (1950b).
Swedmark, B.: On the biology of sexual reproduction of the interstitial fauna of marine sand. Int. Congr. Zool. (London) 15, 327–330 (1959).
—: The interstitial fauna of marine sand. Biol. Rev. 39, 1–42 (1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J. E. Smith, Plymouth
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Olive, P.J.W. Reproduction of a Northumberland population of the polychaete Cirratulus cirratus . Marine Biology 5, 259–273 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346914
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346914