Summary
1. The anatomy and histology of four species of polychaetes,viz., O. erimita, L. medusa, G. embranchiata andC. insecta are given.
2. The nephridia inO. erimita, L. medusa and inC. insecta are of the mixonephridial type while inG. embranchiata it is of protonephromixial type with simple solenocytes performing the function of excretion. There is a pair to each segment in the former two species excepting in the few anterior and posterior segments. But inL. medusa there are only three pairs and inC. insecta four pairs.
3. The blood supply to the nephridia and the extent of the excretory surface to the length of the worm are given. Both in blood supply and in the excretory surfaceC. insecta showed the maximum development.L. medusa, O. erimita andG. embranchiata showed lesser grades of development in the order mentioned.
4. The differences in the blood supply the nephridia receive and in the extent of the excretory surface to the length of the worm have been argued as due to the different capacities for osmotic regulation as reflected by volume regulation. Taking this a measure their distribution in a brackish-water environment has been explained.
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Communicated by Dr. S. Krishnaswamy,f.a.sc.
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Krishnamoorthi, B. Gross morphology and histology of nephridia in four species of polychaetes. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 57, 195–208 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03052218
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03052218