A study on spermatogenesis of three Mediterranean serpulid species

Figures & data

Figure 1. Hydroides dianthus. A, section showing segments full of male germinal cells. B, male germinal cells in various phases of maturation. C, early spermatids. er, endoplasmic reticulum; pg, proacrosomal granules. D, late spermatid. n, nucleus; a, acrosome; m, mitochondria. E, spermatozoon in the last phases of the spermioistogenesis. n, nucleus; a, acrosome; m, mitochondria; f, flagellum. F, spermatozoon. Note the indentations (arrow) in the lower part of the acrosome (a). n, nucleus; m, mitochondria; f, flagellum. G, section at the level of the proximal centriole (pc). m, mitochondria. Scale bars: A, 25 μm. B, 3 μm. C,D, 1 μm. E,F, 0.9 μm. G, 1.5 μm.

Figure 2. Serpula vermicularis. A, section showing a portion of the coelomic cavity full of male germinal cells in various phases of maturation. B, male germinal cells in various phases of maturation. sc, spermatocytes; sp, spermatozoa. C, spermatids. n, nucleus; a, acrosome; m, mitochondria. D, spermatozoon in which the condensation of the nucleus (n) is not yet complete (arrow). a, acrosome; m, mitochondria. E, spermatozoon. n, nucleus; a, acrosome; m, mitochondria, f, flagellum. F, picture at high magnification of the acrosome (a). n, nucleus. G, section at level of the flagella. Scale bars: A, 20 μm. B, 5 μm. C, 1.5 μm. D, 0.6 μm. E, 1 μm. F, 170 nm. G, 0.5 μm.

Figure 3. Vermiliopsis infundibulum. A, section showing a portion of the coelomic cavity full of male germinal cells in various phases of maturation. B, male germinal cells in various phases of maturation. sc, spermatocytes; sp, spermatozoa. C, late spermatid. n, nucleus; a, acrosome; m, mitochondria. D, spermatozoon. n, nucleus; a, acrosome; m, mitochondria; f, flagellum; pc, proximal centriole. Scale bars: A, 15 μm. B, 5 μm. C, 0.4 μm. D, 0.7 μm.

Table I. Some spermatozoa and developmental features of the up to now investigated serpulids. NF, non-feeding larva; F, feeding larva; ?, unknown

Species	Sperm	Acrosome	Brooding	Larval type	Literature
Chitinopoma serrula	Elongate	Vesicle thimble-shaped	+	NF	Zibrowius 1969
Paraprotis dendrova	Cylindrical	Simple	+	NF	Nishi 1992
Salmacina sp.	Elongate	Elongate	+	NF	Nishi 1993
Galeolaria caespitosa	Spherical	Inverted bowl, posterior rim	–	F	Giangrande 1997
Hydroides exagonus	Spherical	Cup-shaped, tubular invaginations	?	?	Colwin & Colwin 1961
Hydroides dianthus	Bullet shaped	Cup-shaped	–	F	Present paper
Pomatoleios kraussii	Spherical	Inverted bowl, lower down indented	–	F	Jamieson & Rouse 1989
Serpula sp.	Spherical	Uniformly dense vesicle	–	?	Jamieson & Rouse 1989
Serpula vermicularis	Spherical	Cup-shaped	–	F	Present paper; Franzen 1956
Spirobranchus tetraceros	Spherical	Inverted bowl, lateral prolongations	–	F	Nishi 1993
Vermiliopsis infundibulum	Cylindrical	Simple	–	?	Present paper; Nishi 1993

Figure 4. The spermatozoa morphology of the up to now investigated serpulid species is superimposed on the most parsimonious tree obtained, with permission, from Lehrke et al. (2007). a, Vermiliopsis infundibulum (present paper); b, Salmacina sp. (redrawn, with permission, from Rouse 1996); c, Serpula vermicularis (present paper); d, Hydroides dianthus (present paper); e, Spirobranchus tetraceros (redrawn, with permission, from Selim et al. 2005); f, Galeolaria caespitosa (redrawn, with permission, from Jamieson & Rouse 1989).

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