Heavy metals in marine nemerteans

Accumulation of lead, cadmium and zinc by two species of eulittoral nemerteans, Lineus ruber (Heteronemertea) and Amphiporus lactifloreus (Hoplonemertea) varies both seasonally and interspecifically.The proportion of surface mucus-adsorbed metals can be quantified by immersion of experimental animals in iminodiacetic acid (IDA) coupled to Epoxy-activated Sepharose 6B (40–100 µm diameter). In this way surface associated adsorbed metals can be differentiated from absorbed metals present in the body tissues.Applications of the above technique and proposed future work on heavy metals in nemerteans are discussed.