The Catabolism of Nitrogen Compounds in Dendrostomun cymodoceae Edmonds (Sipunculoidea)

Abstract

The total non-protein nitrogen in the excretory products of fasting specimens of Dendrostomum cymodoceae Edmonds was found to be 1.18-1.40 mg N/100 g wet wt./24 hr. Of the total nitrogen, 83-90 per cent. was excreted as ammonia nitrogen, 4-6 percent, as urea nitrogen, 0-4 percent. as amino acid nitrogen, and none as uric acid; 89-94 percent. of the nitrogen was thus accounted for. The results are compared with the corresponding values obtained by other workers for Sipunculus nudus and some other invertebrates.