The marine sipunculan worm, Sipunculus nudus Linné, possesses a voluminous coelomic cavity filled with a fluid containing different types of free cells. Most of them (more than 90%) are nucleated haemerythrocytes. They arise from free, small haemerythroblastic cells which are described in this report. Different kinds of leucocytes are also found in the coelomic fluid, particularly granulocytes which are phagocytic cells showing some similarities with vertebrate macrophages. These cells seem to arise from small hyalocytes, which are cells having morphological and physiological resemblances with vertebrate lymphocytes. It appears that the older granulocytes are progressively degranulated and give rise to large hyalocytes. Ciliary cells arising from small cells, very similar to small hyalocytes, have also been observed and it is supposed that they give rise to urn cells. Lastly, some of the biological functions of the free coelomic cells of the sipunculan worms are described.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.