Fig. 5. A. Food filter. B. View of the connections of the peristaltic
pump 2 (p2) with the food filter (fi) and the circuit supplier of the
inert-particle suspension (ci). tb. thermal bath & wp. water pump of
the sub-system for the suspension of inert particles.
147
a petri dish, transfered to a glass slide with a drop of
water and squashed with a cover slip. A sample was
transfered to an improved Neubauer haemocytometer counting chamber. Normal and 'empty' cells were
scored and their percentages calculated. Per sample
not less than 400 cells were counted. Samples containing less cells were eliminated. Per animal, two
counts were carried out, averaged, and the percentage
of 'empty' cells in the faecal pellets of each animal calculated. The final percentage of 'empty' cells for each
animal was obtained by subtracting the average from
the backpolled 'empty' cells present in the yeast-clay
suspensions of the treatments.
Experiment I
Five treatments with five one-animal replicates. Yeastclay suspensions prepared with 0.2 g I-I of baker's
yeast, and 0.0, 0.17, 0.35, 0.70& 1.4 g I-I of clay (dry
weight) type I (Fig. 2A), respectively. The test organisms were postlarvae of both sexes of Thamnocephalus
platyurus, with a mean total length of 17.3 mm (range
16.0-19.0 mm) (N= 10). Culture medium temperature
25.0-26.0 °C, pH 6.5-7.0, and conductivity 10301090 f-lS cm- I . Mean percentage of 'empty' cells in
the yeast-clay suspension of the treatments 2.68%.
Experiment II
Five treatments with five one-animal replicates. Yeastclay suspensions prepared with 0.2 g I-I of yeast,
and 0.0,0.11,0.22,0.45 & 0.91 g I-I of clay (dry
weight) type II (Fig. 3A), respectively. The test animals were postlarvae of both sexes of T platyurus,
with a mean total length of 14.6 mm (range 13.018.0 mm) (N= 16). The culture medium temperature
25 .0-26.0 °C, pH 6.5-7.5, and conductivity 13301350 f-lS cm -1. Mean percentage of empty cells in the
yeast-clay suspensions of the treatments 0.68%.
The results demonstrate that the suspended inert
particles affected the percentage of 'empty' yeast cells
in faecal pellets (Figs 2B & 3B). In both experiments,
the percentage of 'empty' yeast cells increased in all
treatments containing clay. However, comparing with
the treatment without clay, only those treatments with
0.35 & 0.70 g I-I of clay type I, and with 0.11, 0.22
& 0.44 g I-I of clay type II, were significant (t-test)
(Figs 2 & 3).
pump 2 (p2) with the food filter (fi) and the circuit supplier of the
inert-particle suspension (ci). tb. thermal bath & wp. water pump of
the sub-system for the suspension of inert particles.
147
a petri dish, transfered to a glass slide with a drop of
water and squashed with a cover slip. A sample was
transfered to an improved Neubauer haemocytometer counting chamber. Normal and 'empty' cells were
scored and their percentages calculated. Per sample
not less than 400 cells were counted. Samples containing less cells were eliminated. Per animal, two
counts were carried out, averaged, and the percentage
of 'empty' cells in the faecal pellets of each animal calculated. The final percentage of 'empty' cells for each
animal was obtained by subtracting the average from
the backpolled 'empty' cells present in the yeast-clay
suspensions of the treatments.
Experiment I
Five treatments with five one-animal replicates. Yeastclay suspensions prepared with 0.2 g I-I of baker's
yeast, and 0.0, 0.17, 0.35, 0.70& 1.4 g I-I of clay (dry
weight) type I (Fig. 2A), respectively. The test organisms were postlarvae of both sexes of Thamnocephalus
platyurus, with a mean total length of 17.3 mm (range
16.0-19.0 mm) (N= 10). Culture medium temperature
25.0-26.0 °C, pH 6.5-7.0, and conductivity 10301090 f-lS cm- I . Mean percentage of 'empty' cells in
the yeast-clay suspension of the treatments 2.68%.
Experiment II
Five treatments with five one-animal replicates. Yeastclay suspensions prepared with 0.2 g I-I of yeast,
and 0.0,0.11,0.22,0.45 & 0.91 g I-I of clay (dry
weight) type II (Fig. 3A), respectively. The test animals were postlarvae of both sexes of T platyurus,
with a mean total length of 14.6 mm (range 13.018.0 mm) (N= 16). The culture medium temperature
25 .0-26.0 °C, pH 6.5-7.5, and conductivity 13301350 f-lS cm -1. Mean percentage of empty cells in the
yeast-clay suspensions of the treatments 0.68%.
The results demonstrate that the suspended inert
particles affected the percentage of 'empty' yeast cells
in faecal pellets (Figs 2B & 3B). In both experiments,
the percentage of 'empty' yeast cells increased in all
treatments containing clay. However, comparing with
the treatment without clay, only those treatments with
0.35 & 0.70 g I-I of clay type I, and with 0.11, 0.22
& 0.44 g I-I of clay type II, were significant (t-test)
(Figs 2 & 3).