The mechanism for co-ordinating metachronal limb movements between joined male and female Artemia salina during precopulatory behaviour.

Male and female Artemia salina swim in tandem pairs before copulation and during this period the metachronal rhythms of the individuals are entrained. Artemia entrain to pulsatile water stimulation of the head at frequencies between 4 and 6 Hz. The antennules are mechano-sensitive. Antennular responsiveness to phasic input is very probably the actual mechanism by which interorganism co-ordination is achieved, as mechano-stimulation of other Artemia structures, electro-stimulation and photo-stimulation are ineffective modes of entraining metachronal movements.