Sperm characters of the aspidogastrean Rohdella amazonica (Aspidogastridae, Rohdellinae), a parasite of the banded puffer fish Colomesus psittacus

Abstract

The ultrastructural characteristics of the mature spermatozoon of the aspidogastrean Rohdella amazonica (Aspidogastridae, Rohdellinae) were studied by means of transmission electron microscopy. The sperm cell shows two axonemes of the 9 + '1' trepaxonematan pattern of Platyhelminthes, parallel cortical microtubules, a well-developed lateral expansion, external ornamentation of the plasma membrane, one mitochondrion, an electron-dense ring, a nucleus and granules of glycogen. The present results were compared with those observed in the aspidogastreans studied to date and in other Platyhelminthes. The lateral expansion and the electron-dense ring are typical characters for aspidogastreans. Although a lateral expansion has been described in other Platyhelminthes such as monogeneans and digeneans, the Aspidogastrea shows a much larger lateral expansion with both peripheral and internal microtubules. The dense ring is observed as a cylinder in a longitudinal view and shows a more granular appearance in sperm cells from the seminal vesicle in comparison to a more electron-dense appearance in sperm cells from the seminal uterine receptacle.