Statistical relationships of cnidocyst sizes in the sea anemone Oulactis muscosa (Actiniaria: Actiniidae)

ACUÑA, F. H.; L. RICCI; A. C. EXCOFFON

BELGIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

SOC ROYALE ZOOLOGIQUE BELGIQUE

Lugar: Amberes; Año: 2011 vol. 141 p. 32 - 37

0777-6276

This study analysis the multivariate statistical relationships among cnidocyst types and tissues in terms of cnidocystcapsule size in the sea anemone O. muscosa. In a total of 12 individuals we measured the length of 30 unfired capsules of eachcnida type, taken randomly from each of the following tissues: tentacles, acrorhagi, column, actinopharynx and mesenterial filaments.In these tissues, we found spirocysts, basitrichs, microbasic b-mastigophores, microbasic p-mastigophores and holotrichs.Thus, a total of 5400 measurements were made. Looking for a common pattern of variation, a principal components analysis (PCA)was performed on the data matrix, among cnidocyst types for each tissue and between tissues for each cnidocyst type. The resultsshowed that the lengths of most cnidocysts, whether from the same or different tissues, are not statistically related to each other,suggesting that different forces (cnidogenesis, replacement dynamics, etc.), could affect in various forms the development andtherefore the length of each cnida, depending on the type or tissue of origin.