Functioning of the distribution system in the colonial hydroid Dynamena Pumila (L., 1758)

Abstract

The hydroplasmic flow system (HPF) and the redistribution patterns of hydroplasm volumes in three feeding modes (proximal, distal, and uniform) in the uniradiate colonies of Dynamena pumila (L., 1758) (Hydrozoa, Sertulariidae) were studied. The hydroplasmic flows in the colonies are not synchronized. The net flow is represented as multiple individual variations. The period of flow-through HPFs varies significantly and has an extremely high coefficient of variation. The distribution system functions on the hydraulic basis in the absence of general colonial processes of integration and self-regulation. Its efficiency does not depend on the complexity of colonial structure.