A Comparison of Anaerobic Energy Metabolism in Mantle and Tentacle Muscle of the Blue-Ringed Octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa, During Swimming

Abstract

The blue-ringed octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa uses both the mantle and tentacles for swimming. Activities of octopine dehydrogenase. lactate dehydrogenase and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in mantle and tentacle muscles indicate that both tissues depend on anaerobic glycolysis during swimming. with octopine rather than lactate accumulating as an end product. Following swimming. both mantle and tentacles show a decrease in arginine phosphate, an increase in octopine. and a fall in energy charge. On the basis of ATP equivalents per grain of muscle obtained from arginine phosphate and anaerobic glycolysis, the two tissues are similar, but when the relative muscle weights are taken into account ATP production is at least 10-fold greater in the tentacles than in the mantle.