Nemertines are commonly dredged from a depth of six or eight fathoms. They may sometimes be found floating on the surface of the water, and some possess the power of swimming rapidly, propelling themselves by a lateral motion of the tail, the sides of which are in such cases prolonged into a thin fin-like edge. This mode of progression is usually adopted by those which frequent deep water. A pelagic Nemertine (Pelagonemertes) was discovered by Moseley near the southern verge of the South Australian current, being found in a trawl with deep-sea forms from a depth of 1800 fathoms. This animal was leaf-like in shape, bluntly pointed behind and rather square in front.
The power possessed by Nemertines of secreting mucus is very great, their course being often traceable by the tracks which they leave behind them. Many of them glide along with great rapidity, a mode of progression which is probably due to the cilia covering the whole outer skin, and to the extreme contractility of the muscles of the body-wall. In some locomotion is effected by the proboscis; this is protruded and attaches itself by means of its spines to some foreign body, after which the body is drawn up after it. This has been specially observed in a land form, Tetrastemma agricola, discovered by Willemoes-Suhm in the Bermudas. On solid bodies the movement is a kind of crawling action, the head and mouth acting as suckers in much the same way as in many Leeches.
Most Nemertines can be very readily kept in confinement. The chief apparent effect of such a life is a loss of colour, the animal gradually becoming pallid in hue. Owing also to the absence of proper food they diminish very much in size, though even when all food is kept away an animal will sometimes continue to live as long as eighteen months.
Food.—Nemertines are carnivorous in their habits and are very voracious, devouring any prey which comes in their way, whether it be living or dead. No animal food seems to come amiss to them, and they will devour creatures of considerable size. When in contact with its prey, the Nemertine dilates its mouth to a large extent, and the anterior end of the oesophagus is thrust out and engulfs the animal. Chaetopods form a favourite food material, the whole animal being swallowed quite regardless of the hard chitinous bristles and spines with which it is beset. The soft parts are gradually digested, the bristles and other indigestible portions being extruded by the anus. The larger spines often pass out by perforating passages through the wall of the intestine and through the body-wall. The aperture thus formed appears speedily to heal after the foreign body has been extruded.
The carnivorous habits of Nemertines even extend to cannibalism, and when kept in confinement they frequently devour one another. For this reason it is unsafe to keep large and small kinds together, as the small ones speedily disappear, being used as food material by the large. If one be divided into several pieces, the pieces are very rapidly demolished by other individuals.
Regeneration.[[144]]—This power is, no doubt, of great service to these animals, since injury, or even violent local irritation, often causes complete rupture at the point affected. It seems that the chief power of regeneration is situated in the head, as, if a very short piece be broken off the anterior end of the body, it very rapidly reproduces itself into a new individual. The hind end of the original body often lives for a considerable time, but it does not in most cases appear to possess the power of reproducing a head, and after existing for a time it dies. For a while, however, it so far retains its vital powers that the generative products continue to grow, and actually attain to perfection. Severe wounds also heal very quickly and completely, and all local injuries are speedily repaired.
Owing to the force with which it is shot out, the proboscis is often completely severed from the body, and in such a case the animal grows a new one in an extremely short space of time. The proboscis thus broken off retains its power of movement and contractility for a considerable time, and has been more than once mistaken for a worm. This great vital power is probably due to the great development of nervous tissue, the proboscis being usually richly supplied with nerve plexuses.
One large form, Lineus sanguineus, seems to possess great recuperative powers. It shows a marked tendency to break up into pieces, when not only the head end, but also the other portions develop into perfect animals, each one growing a head and all the organs belonging to it. Thus in this case an animal may multiply by a simple process of transverse fission, and form numerous complete individuals.
Breeding.—The breeding season only appears to cease in the extreme of winter. Different genera and species seem to mature their generative products at different times.
In the armed Nemertines the eggs are deposited separately, and are not connected together except by such accidental mucus as the animal deposits normally; but in the unarmed a special mucous secretion forms a thick investment for the eggs.