Arm regeneration in the luminous ophiuroid Amphipholis squamata:: A functional approach

This paper focuses on functional aspects of regeneration in ophiuroids. The bioluminescence phenomenon is used as an indicator of functional recovery of regenerating arms in the small brittle-star Amphipholis squamata. Both laboratory and field studies indicate that regeneration is a rapid process in Amphipholis since a new functional tissue appears only a few days after autotomy. The frequency of autotomy and the recovery speed of luminous capabilities are compared in two distant populations. Our results show that regeneration of tissue/organ functional integrity tends to be more rapid when autotomy,is more frequent. These data suggest that the regenerative capabilities could partially explain the, remarkable ecological success of this unique cosmopolitan echinoderm species.