[Rhodes22-list] A new use for Le Menagerie
Chris Geankoplis
napoli68 at charter.net
Fri Oct 22 07:19:56 EDT 2004
Jim,
Being a Biology Geek I found the use most interesting. When I was
working and going to school in Germany my Prof offered me some credit hours
if I would use my small boat in the Med to collect as many invertebrates as
I could. Well supplied with preservatives I collected quite a number,
Unfortunately they were in a metal container and got lost on the train from
Italy for a week or so in August. When customs finally opened it, it
cleared the room as most of the glass containers were broken the
preservative leaked out. Nothing worse than a collection of ripe
cephalopods and sponges.
Chris G
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim White <jdwhite at utpa.edu>
To: Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org <Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Date: Friday, October 22, 2004 9:11 AM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] A new use for Le Menagerie
>
> When the winds abate to a reasonable velocity here (they're still
> gusting to +30mph ), I'm going to take several grad students out on Le
> Menagerie to collect a critter called Aplysia (common called sea-hare
> or "inkfish"). This unshelled gastropod (slug) swims on top of the
> water, using extensions of it's "foot" as wings. When it's disturbed
> it releases a mildly toxic purple ink as defense. We'll just put out
> enough sail to make a bit of headway (might even drift) and snatch
> them up with long handled dip nets, keeping them alive in an aerator
> equipped icechest. They're sort of rare this time of year- so I
> anticipate a full day of underway on this project. Aplysia are about
> 10"-12" and weigh around a pound...several species, but the one we're
> concerned with is Aplysia brasiliana.
> The Marine Biological Laboratory, a division of UTMB (University of
> Texas Medical Branch) has been interested in this organism for a
> number of years. You see, Aplysia exhibits a giant neuron, very handy
> in nerve research, and a lot of advances in understanding things like
> spinal cord injury have been accomplished using this critter.
> Additionally, a tiny colonial animal which is considered a "fouling"
> organism, something called a tunicate (Botryloides and Botrillis sp.
> in this case) is currently of interest to us as well. I have several
> PVC racks of glass slides on which I am culturing tunicates adjacent
> to Le Menagerie in her slip. This critter just doesn't do well in
> captivity, but I guarantee you, it loves boat hulls (even ones with
> relatively new bottom paint), and dock lines. What's so cool about
> this organism (a hemichordate for all of you zoologist types) is that
> there are researchers from MD Anderson Hospital (maybe you aren't
> familiar with this one...it's a world class cancer treatment/research
> hospital in Houston Tx.) who are studying these little fellas for keys
> to understanding replicative diseases (cancer, AIDS).
> Ultimately, unglamorous and ignored marine biota like these might
> benefit us in ways we can't even imagine.
> Pretty nifty stuff huh?
> Jim White
> Le Menagerie
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