Luminescence in ophiuroids (Echinodermata) does not share a common nervous control in all species.

Study of the control mechanisms of light emission in invertebrates shows the involvement of several neurotransmitters. In ophiuroids, only one species (Amphipholis squamata) has so far been characterized for luminescence control, which seems to be cholinergic, with an influence of several excitatory and inhibitory neuromodulators (amino acids, catecholamines, neuropeptides S1 and S2, purines). The aim of this work is to investigate the nature of control mechanisms of light emission in three luminous ophiuroid species, A. filiformis, O. aranea and O. californica, in order to see whether or not they share common mechanisms. Luminescence induced by general depolarisation of tissues using KCl (200 mmol l(-1)) shows different patterns, according to species. Only A. filiformis emits light in response to acetylcholine. In this species, the involvement of both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors is proposed, since atropine and tubocurarine (at 10(-3) mol l(-1)) inhibited 99 % and 71 %, respectively, of the light emitted. Study of the subtypes of cholinergic receptors involved in photogenesis revealed that several subtypes of muscarinic receptors might be involved. It was also clearly shown that ophiuroids did not share a common mechanism of nervous control of luminescence in all species.