Notes on the Biology of Some Pogonophora

Observations have been made on living pogonophores obtained from the continental slope to the south-west of the British Isles and from the continental shelf off the west coast of Ireland. The blood of five species examined contains haemoglobin in solution. The tube appears to be freely permeable to water, but less so to electrolytes and small molecules. The appearance and behaviour of living embryos is noted and the spermatozoon of one species figured. Possible feeding and other behaviour is discussed and it is concluded that the best line of future investigation lies with the shallow-water forms found in the Arctic Ocean.