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Ultrastructure of grey mullet ( Mugil cephalus , Linnaeus, 1758) spermatozoa as revealed from light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy
Author(s) -
Kumar P.,
Saranya V.,
Natarajan M.,
Kailasam M.,
Biswas G.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied ichthyology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1439-0426
pISSN - 0175-8659
DOI - 10.1111/jai.12902
Subject(s) - mugil , biology , ultrastructure , mullet , zoology , fishery , transmission electron microscopy , anatomy , fish <actinopterygii> , optics , physics
Summary Spermatozoa morphology and fine structure were studied in the grey mullet, Mugil cephalus using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Light microscopy observations indicate a semi‐cystic type of spermatogenesis in the testis. The electron microscopy micrograph showed that the spermatozoon of M. cephalus is uniflagellated (total length 5.78 ± 1.26 μ m), differentiated into an ovoid‐shaped head without acrosome (1.80 ± 0.35 μ m in length and 1.91 ± 0.30 μ m in diameter), with a short midpiece and a long cylindrical flagellar tail (length 3.60 ± 0.50 μ m). The midpiece is characterized by the presence of four to five vacuoles, a cytoplasmic canal, two centriole and two spherical mitochondria having a flat type of cristae. Chromatin granules of the nucleus form an electron‐dense homogeneous mass. The flagellum consists of nine peripheral microtubules and a central pair (9 + 2) surrounded by the plasma membrane with side fins. The results confirm that spermatozoa of M. cephalus are perciform or teleostean type II . Information generated from the present study will be useful in taxonomic classification, cryopreservation and breeding work.