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Ultrastructural Observations on the Spermatozoa of Two Temnocephalids (Platyhelminthes)
Author(s) -
Justine JeanLou,
León Rodrigo Ponce,
Mattei Xavier
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
acta zoologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1463-6395
pISSN - 0001-7272
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1987.tb00871.x
Subject(s) - biology , spermatozoon , flatworm , microtubule , flagellum , ultrastructure , sperm , anatomy , basal body , synapomorphy , microbiology and biotechnology , zoology , genetics , phylogenetics , gene , clade
The spermatozoa of two Temnocephalidae collected in Uruguay, Temnocephala iheringi Haswell, 1893 (Host: Pomacea canaliculata ) and Temnocephala axenos Monticelli, 1899 (Host: Parastacus varicosus ), were studied with a transmission electron microscope. In both species the spermatozoon is made up of a long sperm body which bears at one extremity two free flagella of the 9+‘1’ flatworm pattern. The sperm body contains the nucleus, mitochondria, dense bodies and parallel, cortical, longitudinal singlet microtubules. Along a part of the sperm body the palissade of the microtubules displays a spiral pattern in transverse sections. A part of the perimeter of the cell is thus lined by two overlapping rows of microtubules. This spiral pattern of the singlets is considered as a synapomorphy of the family Temnocephalidae. The singlet microtubules are interconnected by two kinds of links: tangential links between neighbouring singlets in the same row and radial links between singlets belonging to two rows. The presence of these links suggests that this structure could be a motile system of singlets.