LEONARD MUSCATINE 265 



DISCUSSION 



WAINWRIGHT: Is the number of hydranths proportional to the 

 total amount of protein? 



MUSCATINE: Yes, the relationship is linear up to about 75 hy- 

 dranths. 



WAINWRIGHT: Is this so in the starved experiment? 



MUSCATINE: Preliminary experiments show that after 5 days of 

 starvation albinos consist of less protein per hydranth than the 

 greens. 



EAKIN: Are you carrying along the colorless algae as a parasite 

 in your albino organism? 



MUSCATINE: Microscopic examination after treatment with gly- 

 cerin indicates that algae are no longer present. We use only those 

 albinos which do not regain an algal flora when placed back in the 

 glycerin-free culture solution. 



EAKIN: I will be reporting on an organism we developed by cul- 

 turing Chlorohijcha in the dark, one which we call "brown ChJoro- 

 hydra," and which undoubtedly corresponds to your "albino." We 

 have not been able to detect the presence of any colorless algae in 

 them. 



BURNETT: One of my students, Peter Wernik, finds that albinos 

 take in more glycogen and protein reserve droplets than do green 

 hydra. 



MUSCATINE: Do you feel that the green hydra use food more 

 efficiently than the albinos? 



BURNETT: I don't know. Possibly the greens aren't requiring as 

 much; a hydra always takes in just about what he needs. Did I 

 understand you to say that your animals budded during 8 days of 

 starvation? 



MUSCATINE: Yes, budding by green hydra persists for a week. 

 They double their number in this time. 



GOREAU: What is the ratio of plant to animal biomass in Chloro- 

 hijdra? 



