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Locomotory strategies in freshwater triclads and their effects on the energetics of degrowth

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Summary

Dendrocoelum lacteum, feeding on active prey, adopted a ‘sit and wait strategy’ upon starvation. During this time metabolic rate fell by a factor of 0.65. About 80% of the energy made available from the catabolism of tissue was lost as heat with the rest being lost as mucus. P. tenuis, feeding on inactive carrion, adopted a ‘search out strategy’ upon starvation. Metabolic rate fell during this time but only by a factor of 0.72. About 50% of the energy from catabolism was lost as heat and about 50% as mucus. Hence the locomotory strategies adopted by each species during starvation depended on the mobility of the prey and lead to marked differences in the energy balance of the worms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, United Kingdom

    P. Calow & A. S. Woollhead

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  1. P. Calow
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  2. A. S. Woollhead
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Calow, P., Woollhead, A.S. Locomotory strategies in freshwater triclads and their effects on the energetics of degrowth. Oecologia 27, 353–362 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00345568

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