Acta Zoologica

Gauldie, R. W.

doi: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1990.tb01077.xpmid: N/A

The cosmopolitan opah Lampris immaculatus (also known as the moonfish or mariposa) occurs commonly in New Zealand waters. The otoliths of 23 individuals were examined by light microscopy. All three of the otoliths of the endolymphatic sac of the opah have the characteristic appearance of the Stolkowski crystal form of the vaterite morph of calcium carbonate. Five randomly chosen pairs of asterici and sagittae and two lapilli otoliths were shown by X‐ray diffraction to be composed of vaterite. In addition to their mineral composition, the sagitta and astericus of the opah present an unusual combination of anatomical features found in both what are generally regarded as primitive and as advanced fish. Vaterite otoliths also occur in the sunfish Mola mola and M. ramsayi, but with a different crystalline habit to that found in the opah, and in a distinctively different anatomical arrangement of the endolymphatic sac. It is argued that, based on their otolith mineralogy and morphology, the opah and the sunfish are each side of one of the biochemical and anatomical boundaries involved in the separation of the teleosts from other actinopterygian fish (sturgeons, paddle fish, gars and bowfins).

Xue, L.; Dallai, R.; Yin, W.‐Y.

doi: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1990.tb01078.xpmid: N/A

The fine structure of the alimentary canal, especially the midgut and hindgut of Lepidocampa weberi (Diplura: Campodeidae) is described. The general organization of the canal is similar to that of Campodea. The midgut epithelium is composed of columnar apical microvillated cells. Each nucleus contains a single intranuclear crystal. Close to the pyloric region, the posterior midgut cells are devoid of microvilli and intranuclear crystals. There is no special pyloric chamber as in Protura or pyloric cuticular ring as in Collembola but a morphological transformation from midgut to hindgut cells. Eight globular Malpighian papillae, consisting of distal microvillated cells and flat proximal cells, open into the gut lumen via ducts formed by hindgut cells. The structure of the hindgut is complicated and can be divided into three segments. The anterior hindgut cells have an irregular shape and compact cytoplasm. A striking interdigitation between the large bottle‐shaped epithelial cells and longitudinal muscle cells occurs in the middle segment of the hindgut. The thick cuticle gives rise to long spikes projecting into the gut lumen. The posterior hindgut cells possess the morphological features for water reabsorption. Some hypotheses are advanced about the function of the different regions of the gut.

Rohde, K.; Noury‐Sraïri, N.; Watson, N.; Justine, J.‐L.; Euzet, L.

doi: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1990.tb01079.xpmid: N/A

The ultrastructure of the flame bulbs of the turbellarian Urastoma cyprinae from Mytilus galloprovincialis in the Mediterranean is described. The nucleus of the terminal cell is located some distance basal to the rootlets of the cilia forming the flame; the cytoplasm contains numerous tubules approximately 54–66 nm in diameter, and vesicles. Thick walled, densely packed rod‐like structures coil around each other with a tendency towards longitudinal orientation close to the flame. The rod‐like structures tightly surround the basal part of the flame and the distal cytoplasmic tube in the apical part of the flame. Some of them, including the inner predominantly longitudinally directed ones, are continuous with the cytoplasm of the terminal cell, others are continuous with the cytoplasm of the distal cytoplasmic tube. Internal leptotriches arise from the cytoplasm of the terminal cell and intrude between the basal parts of the cilia of the flame. The distal cytoplasmic tube possesses a septate junction. The flame bulb of Urastoma differs distinctly from those known from other Platyhelminthes; implications for the phylogeny of Platyhelminthes are discussed.

Huvard, Andrea L.

doi: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1990.tb01080.xpmid: N/A

Ultrastructurally, the compound eyes of the luminescent marine ostracodes Vargula graminkola and V. tsujii are similar. These ostracodes have two lateral compound eyes, with relatively few ommatidia (13 and 20 respectively). They exhibit apposition type compound eyes as seen in many other arthropods. Each ommatidium includes: a flat, ectodermal cuticular covering, corneagen cells, two long cone cells that give rise to a large conspicuous crystalline cone, retinular cells, pigment cells, a microvillar rhabdom and proximal axonal neurons. The axons merge to form an optic nerve that extends into the brain through a short, muscular stalk that is surrounded externally by a cuticle. The number of retinular cells is typically six per ommatidium in V. graminicola and eight per ommatidium in V. tsujii. Screening pigment cells surround each ommatidium forming a layer that is about 5–15 pigment granules thick. In addition to pigment cells, the cytoplasm of the retinular cells includes numerous screening pigment granules. In light/dark adaptation, there are no obvious morphological differences in the orientation of the rhabdom or in the organization of the screening pigments. Both Vargula species studied are nocturnally active and bioluminescent suggesting that these eyes are capable receptors of the bright conspecific luminescence.

Holland, Nicholas D.; Holland, Linda Z.

doi: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1990.tb01081.xpmid: N/A

Three ontogenetically related coeloms of a lancelet are described by transmission electron microscopy. The fin box coeloms are lined dorsally and laterally by smooth myomesothelial cells of uncertain function. In contrast, there are no myofilaments in the mesothelial cells of the ventral parts of the fin boxes. Similarly, myofilaments are absent from the mesothelia lining all parts of the sclerocoels and the lateral parts of the myocoels (the medial side of the myocoel is a myomesothelium comprising the striated muscles of the body wall). Lancelet coeloms differ from those of other deuterostomes in containing several kinds of formed extracellular materials. All three kinds of coeloms contain distinctive spherules with ramifying processes; dense strands are limited to the myocoels and sclerocoels; and a finely granular secretion is found only at the coelomic surface of the mesothelium lining the sclerocoels. These extracellular materials, which appear to originate from exocytosis of secretory granules from the mesothelial cells, may function biomechanically and for energy storage. The discussion includes a consideration of the so‐called fin rays of lancelets and concludes that none of these structures is homologous with the fin rays of fish.

Balser, Elizabeth J.; Ruppert, Edward E.

doi: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1990.tb01082.xpmid: N/A

The heart‐kidney of Saccoglossus kowalevskii, which is situated within the anterior preoral proboscis coelom (protocoel), consists of the stomochord, pericardium, heart sinus, and glomerulus. The stomochord, a diverticulum of the gut, is characterized by vacuolated epithelial cells surrounded by basal lamina and connective tissue. The pericardium, a myoepithelium, lies dorsal to the central heart sinus. Opening into the protocoel and connecting with the outside via the proboscis pore is the protocoel duct, which is, in part, composed of multiciliated absorptive epithelial cells. Perfusion of the dorsal trunk vessel with vital dyes reveals a rapid flow of blood into the glomerular blood vessels. Examination of the permeability characteristics of the extracellular matrix underlying the glomerular podocytes reveals the movement of iron dextran (mol. wt 5000 daltons) from the central heart sinus into the protocoel. Iron dextran uptake by glomerular cells and protocoel lining cells is demonstrated. These results suggest that vascular fluid is filtered by the glomerulus, producing a primary urine in the protocoel which may be modified as it passes over the peritoneum, through the protocoel duct, and out of the proboscis pore. New data concerning the morphology of the stomochord are presented. The controversial homology between the hemichordate stomochord and the chordate notochord is addressed.