Mechanism of barotaxis in marine zooplankton.

Hydrostatic pressure is a dominant environmental cue for vertically migrating marine organisms but the physiological mechanisms of responding to pressure changes remain unclear. Here, we uncovered the cellular and circuit bases of a barokinetic response in the planktonic larva of the marine annelid . Increased pressure induced a rapid, graded, and adapting upward swimming response due to the faster beating of cilia in the head multiciliary band.

The Nereid on the rise: Platynereis as a model system.

The Nereid Platynereis dumerilii (Audouin and Milne Edwards (Annales des Sciences Naturelles 1:195-269, 1833) is a marine annelid that belongs to the Nereididae, a family of errant polychaete worms. The Nereid shows a pelago-benthic life cycle: as a general characteristic for the superphylum of Lophotrochozoa/Spiralia, it has spirally cleaving embryos developing into swimming trochophore larvae. The larvae then metamorphose into benthic worms living in self-spun tubes on macroalgae.

Diversity of cilia-based mechanosensory systems and their functions in marine animal behaviour.

Sensory cells that detect mechanical forces usually have one or more specialized cilia. These mechanosensory cells underlie hearing, proprioception or gravity sensation. To date, it is unclear how cilia contribute to detecting mechanical forces and what is the relationship between mechanosensory ciliated cells in different animal groups and sensory systems.