Methodological considerations in studying digestive system physiology in octopus: limitations, lacunae and lessons learnt

Current understanding of cephalopod digestive tract physiology is based on relatively “old” literature and a “mosaic of data” from multiple species. To provide a background to the discussion of methodologies for investigating physiology we first review the anatomy of the cephalopod digestive tract with a focus on Octopus vulgaris, highlighting structure-function relationships and species differences with potential functional consequences (e.g., absence of a crop in cuttlefish and squid; presence of a caecal sac in squid). We caution about extrapolation of data on the digestive system physiology from one cephalopod species to another because of the anatomical differences. The contribution of anatomical and histological techniques (e.g., digestive enzyme histochemistry and neurotransmitter immunohistochemistry) to understanding physiological processes is discussed. For each major digestive tract function we briefly review current knowledge, and then discuss techniques and their limitations for the following parameters: 1) Measuring motility in vitro (e.g., spatiotemporal mapping, tension and pressure), in vivo (labelled food, high resolution ultrasound) and aspects of pharmacology; 2) Measuring food ingestion and the time course of digestion with an emphasis on understanding enzyme function in each gut region with respect to time; 3) Assessing transepithelial transport of nutrients; 4) Measuring the energetic cost of food processing, impact of environmental temperature and metabolic rate (flow-through/intermittent respirometry); 4) Investigating neural (brain, gastric ganglion, enteric) and endocrine control processes with an emphasis on application of molecular techniques to identify receptors and their ligands. A number of major knowledge lacunae are identified where available techniques need to be applied to cephalopods, these include: 1) What is the physiological function of the caecal leaflets and intestinal typhlosoles in octopus? 2) What role does the transepithelial transport in the caecum and intestine play in ion, water and nutrient transport? 3) What information is signalled from the digestive tract to the brain regarding the food ingested and the progress of digestion? It is hoped that by combining discussion of the physiology of the cephalopod digestive system with an overview of techniques and identification of key knowledge gaps that this will encourage a more systematic approach to research in this area.

The Digestive Tract of Cephalopods: Toward Non-invasive In vivo Monitoring of Its Physiology

Ensuring the health and welfare of animals in research is paramount, and the normal functioning of the digestive tract is essential for both. Here we critically assess non- or minimally-invasive techniques which may be used to assess a cephalopod's digestive tract functionality to inform health monitoring. We focus on: (i) predatory response as an indication of appetitive drive; (ii) body weight assessment and interpretation of deviations (e.g., digestive gland weight loss is disproportionate to body weight loss in starvation); (iii) oro-anal transit time requiring novel, standardized techniques to facilitate comparative studies of species and diets; (iv) defecation frequency and analysis of fecal color (diet dependent) and composition (parasites, biomarkers, and cytology); (v) digestive tract endoscopy, but passage of the esophagus through the brain is a technical challenge; (vi) high resolution ultrasound that offers the possibility of imaging the morphology of the digestive tract (e.g., food distribution, indigestible residues, obstruction) and recording contractile activity; (vii) needle biopsy (with ultrasound guidance) as a technique for investigating digestive gland biochemistry and pathology without the death of the animal. These techniques will inform the development of physiologically based assessments of health and the impact of experimental procedures. Although intended for use in the laboratory they are equally applicable to cephalopods in public display and aquaculture.

Repeated sampling of individual bivalve mollusks I: intraindividual variability and consequences for haemolymph constituents of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum

Components of the haemolymph are understood to constitute the internal defense system of bivalve mollusks and their levels are often considered to be indicators of "health"; however, relatively little proof exists of the role that these elements play in the success or failure of defense against a pathogen. A change associated with infection may be the consequence of disease rather than a measure of the capacity to respond effectively to a pathogen. One way to assess whether haemocyte or serum-component concentrations are related to resistance to microbial infection is to sample individuals over time, both before and after they are experimentally or naturally infected. But sampling itself may alter the parameter being assessed. In addition, interindividual variation is large and the degree of intraindividual variation over time is largely unknown. To evaluate intra- vs interindividual variability measured over time and to assess the effects of repeated sampling, we subjected Manila clams, Ruditapes philippinarum, to multiple haemolymph samplings during both field and laboratory experiments, and measured four parameters: haemocyte density, protein concentration, and the activities of leucine amino peptidase and DOPA-oxidase. A repeated-measures ANOVA indicated that individuals with high or low levels at one sampling, tended to have high or low levels, respectively, at the other sampling times. Furthermore, the index of individuality, which is the ratio of intra- to interindividual variability, for these four parameters was comparable to that for human serum components. Repeated sampling had no measured effect on field-deployed clams, which were sampled at intervals of 1-3 months, but significantly depressed values in laboratory-held clams sampled at 1-month intervals. Results demonstrated relative intraindividual constancy in the measured variables and suggested that minimizing sample frequency and volume, and maintaining animals in a comparatively natural environment should all facilitate repeated sampling with minimum injury to experimental mollusks.