Arylalkylamines inOctopus tissues.

A number of phenylethylamines and indoleamines have been analyzed in the circumoesophageal ganglia and posterior salivary gland of the normal and pargyline-treated maleOctopus dofleini martini. β-Phenylethylamine,m-tyramine, and tryptamine are present in the optic lobes in amounts of 3, 0.6, and 0.6 ng/g, and in the posterior salivary gland at levels of 1, 64, and 52 ng/g, respectively, in contrast to the much higher levels observed forp-tyramine, octopamine, dopamine, noradrenaline, and 5-hydroxytryptamine. Although pargyline causes a substantial increase in the content of β-phenylethylamine,m-tyramine,p-tyramine, and tryptamine in the optic lobes, no significant changes are observed in the posterior salivary gland. Their relatively rapid metabolism suggests an active role for these amines in the function of nervous tissue in theOctopus.