Techniques for recording the Activity of Aquatic Invertebrates

Abstract

DURING recent investigations of burrowing in worms and bivalve molluscs^1–3 new techniques have been developed of continuously recording activity, because conventional methods which involved the attachments of threads or levers^4,5 proved of little use in investigating freely burrowing animals. The techniques described here allow observations to be made with the minimum of disturbance to normal activities. They involve the adaptation of equipment commercially available and are based on the measurement of either impedance or hydrostatic pressure changes.