[Rhodes22-list] A new use for Le Menagerie

[Chris Geankoplis]

Jim,
       Being a Biology Geek I found the use most interesting.  When I was
working and going to school in  Germany my Prof offered me some credit hours
if I would use my small boat in the Med to collect as many invertebrates as
I could.  Well supplied with preservatives I collected quite a number,
Unfortunately they were in a metal container and got lost on the train from
Italy for a week or so in August.  When customs finally opened it, it
cleared the room as most of the glass containers were broken the
preservative leaked out.  Nothing worse than a collection of ripe
cephalopods and sponges.

Chris G
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim White <jdwhite at utpa.edu>
To: Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org <Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Date: Friday, October 22, 2004 9:11 AM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] A new use for Le Menagerie


>
>   When the winds abate to a reasonable velocity here (they're still
>   gusting to +30mph ), I'm going to take several grad students out on Le
>   Menagerie to collect a critter called Aplysia (common called sea-hare
>   or "inkfish"). This unshelled gastropod (slug) swims on top of the
>   water, using extensions of it's "foot" as wings. When it's disturbed
>   it releases a mildly toxic purple ink as defense. We'll just put out
>   enough sail to make a bit of headway (might even drift) and snatch
>   them up with long handled dip nets, keeping them alive in an aerator
>   equipped icechest. They're sort of rare this time of year- so I
>   anticipate a full day of underway on this project. Aplysia are about
>   10"-12" and weigh around a pound...several species, but the one we're
>   concerned with is Aplysia brasiliana.
>   The Marine Biological Laboratory, a division of UTMB (University of
>   Texas Medical Branch) has been interested in this organism for a
>   number of years. You see, Aplysia exhibits a giant neuron, very handy
>   in nerve research, and a lot of advances in understanding things like
>   spinal cord injury have been accomplished using this critter.
>   Additionally, a tiny colonial animal which is considered a "fouling"
>   organism, something called a tunicate (Botryloides and Botrillis sp.
>   in this case) is currently of interest to us as well. I  have several
>   PVC racks of glass slides on which I am culturing tunicates adjacent
>   to Le Menagerie in her slip. This critter just doesn't do well in
>   captivity, but I guarantee you, it loves boat hulls (even ones with
>   relatively new bottom paint), and dock lines. What's so cool about
>   this organism (a hemichordate for all of you zoologist types) is that
>   there are researchers from MD Anderson Hospital (maybe you aren't
>   familiar with this one...it's a world class cancer treatment/research
>   hospital in Houston Tx.) who are studying these little fellas for keys
>   to understanding replicative diseases  (cancer, AIDS).
>   Ultimately, unglamorous and ignored marine biota like these might
>   benefit us in ways we can't even imagine.
>   Pretty nifty stuff huh?
>   Jim White
>   Le Menagerie
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