Abstract:
An estuarine mollusc Melanopsus trifasciata was studied with respect to its osmoregulatory capacity. Analysis of the environment, body fluids, and cell constituents was carried out and the results indicated that Melanopsus was able to regulate its cellular amino compounds in response to salinity changes. However it is isosmotic and more or loss isotonic with the environment as far as the haemocoelic fluid is concerned. An attempt was made to find out how or why this response of the cells to changing external osmotic pressure comes about. Various techniques were used: puromycin to block protein synthesis, labelled amino acids, time experiments, enzyme assays, and so on. Finally in the light of present day work the results were interpreted and a system of control put forward for Melanopsis which was later extended in general terms to all euryhaline poikilosmotic invertebrates.
