"Spinner" cephalopods: defects of statocyst suprastructures in an invertebrate analogue of the vestibular apparatus.

Individuals of seven species of coleoid cephalopods (three species of octopus, three of squid, and one of cuttlefish), that were cultured and reared in laboratory aquarium systems, had a behavioral defect at hatching which was characterized by an inability to control orientation while swimming. These defective animals were designated as "spinners." An examination of statocysts from individuals of five of the affected species revealed abnormalities of the neuro-epithelial suprastructures: absence or malformation of the statolith of the gravity receptor system and absence of the cupulae of the angular acceleration receptor systems.

SURVIVAL, GROWTH, AND BEHAVIOR OF THE LOLIGINID SQUIDS LOLIGO PLEI, LOLIGO PEALEI, AND LOLLIGUNCULA BREVIS (MOLLUSCA: CEPHALOPODA) IN CLOSED SEA WATER SYSTEMS.

Over 1200 squids were captured by night lighting, trawling, or seining in the northern Gulf of Mexico for laboratory maintenance. Two types of recirculating sea water systems were designed and evaluated: a 2 m circular tank (1500 liter capacity) and a 10 m long raceway (10,000 liters). Mean laboratory survival was: Loligo plei (12 to 252 mm mantle length, ML) 11 days, maximum 84 days; Loligo pealei (109 to 285 mm ML) 28 days, maximum 71 days; Lolliguncula brevis (27 to 99 mm ML) 19 days, maximum 125 days.

Fin damage in captured and reared squids.

Fin damage was a major factor in the mortality of wild-caught squids kept in the laboratory. Infection of abraded fins by opportunistic bacterial pathogens impaired swimming and led to death. Serious skin abrasions were especially common in trawl-caught squids.

Delayed hyperbaric treatment of cerebral air embolism: report of a case.

A 23-year-old woman with Eisenmenger's complex had a cerebral air embolism with resultant severe neurologic impairment while undergoing phlebotomy for secondary polycythemia. She was treated with hyperbaric therapy 29 hours after the original accident with almost complete recovery of neurologic function.