Ultrastructure of the spermatozoa of Aristaeopsis edwardsiana and Aristeus varidens (Crustacea, Dendrobranchiata, Aristeidae)

Abstract

The acrosome-less spermatozoon of Aristaeopsis edwardsiana (Crustacea, Aristeidae), which consists of a central non-membrane bound nuclear region surrounded by a thin peripheral cytoplasm, much resembles that of the previously studied aristeid Aristaeomorpha foliacea. The marked spermatozoal similarities between these two species appear to indicate a close phylogenetic proximity. A considerably different spermatozoal pattern is observed in aristeids from the genus Aristeus (A. varidens and A. antennatus), whose spermatozoa possess an anterior spherical acrosome, lacking a spike, and partially embedded in (instead of capping) the main sperm body. The two distinct sperm types found in the Aristeidae differ significantly from the spiked sperm typically found in most penaeoids (Penaeidae, Solenoceridae and Sicyoniidae), thus suggesting a phylogenetic separation of the Aristeidae from the remaining Penaeoidea.

A transmission electron microscopy investigation: the membrane complex in spermatogenesis of Fenneropenaeus chinensis

“…Membrane complex originated from cytoplasm occurs during the spermiogenesis of F. chinensis, and it is comprised derivative of endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and nuclear membrane which is similar to that reported in most species (Langreth 1969;Reger 1970;McKnight and Hinsch 1986;Du et al 1988;Medina 1994;Li 1995;Tudge et al 2001;Zhu et al 2002;Medina et al 2006). The only difference lies in the typical annular lamina bodies wound from the endocytoplasmic reticulum in the membrane complex of F. chinensis.…”

Spermatozoa ultrastructure of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Decapoda: Dendrobranchiata)

“…The cytoplasmic band in Dendrobranchiata sperm cells consists a membrane complex (Kang et al. 2008) comprised of parallel membrane lamellae and two vesicle populations, one small and one large (Medina 1994; Medina et al. 1994a,b, 2006; Scelzo and Medina 2003).…”

Histone H2B gene cloning, with implication for its function during nuclear shaping in the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis

“…The spermatozoa of these species are aflagellate and the nuclei are positioned peripherally, surrounding an approximately spherical acrosomal granule (Langreth, 1969;Chiba et al, 1992;Jamieson, 1994). Another interesting characteristic of decapod crustacean spermatozoa is their noncompacted loosely arranged chromatin (Hinsch, 1969;Tudge et al, 2001;Medina et al, 2006).…”