Modification of leech behavior following foraging for artificial blood

Abstract

In this study we examined whether the foraging for artificial blood affected the behavioral responsiveness of leeches to electrical stimulation of the body wall. After foraging for artificial blood, electrical stimulation of the posterior end of the leech significantly increased the percentage of stimulation trials that elicited locomotory activity--swimming and crawling--compared to the behaviors elicited when leeches did not forage or foraged for normal saline. On the other hand, shortening always dominated the behavioral profile of the leech to anterior stimulation even after foraging for artificial blood. In intact anterior end-isolated nerve cord preparations, we also found that application of artificial blood to the intact anterior end was sufficient to modify motor responsiveness to DP nerve stimulation. Full strength artificial blood had an overall negative effect on the likelihood of DP nerve stimulation initiating swimming and on the average length of elicited swim episodes compared to when pond water surrounded the anterior end. Application of a 10% solution of artificial blood to the anterior end led to an increase in the likelihood of DP nerve stimulation eliciting swimming.