THE FINE STRUCTURE OF THE ABDOMINAL SENSE ORGANS OF PTERIOMORPHA (MOLLUSCA, BIVALVIA)

An ultrastructural study of the abdominal sense organs (ASO)of nine species, representing all three groups Of Pteriomorpha(Mytilina, Arcina, Pteriina), is offered. In all species investigated the sensory epithelium is high (40–130µm) and possesses two predominant cell types: (a) electron-densesupporting cells with microvilli only, pigment granules, andoval distal nuclei; (b) sensory cells with round proximal nucleiand electron-lucent plasma. Their narrow processes, always bunched,reach the surface bearing long (100–300 µm) stiffcilia. Each cilium has a polarized, orientated basal foot andseveral strong roots and is surrounded by nine specialized "stereo-microvilli"forming a basal plate in connexion with the basal body. Basalcontact of the sensory cells with nervous tissue proves theirreceptive nature. Structural uniformity as well as identical innervation provideevidence for the homology of the ASO in all Pteriomorpha. Thereis no homology between sensory cells and the similar, so-called"choanocyte-like cells".     

THE CILIATED RIM OF THE VELUM OF LARVAE OF PECTEN MAXIMUS (BIVALVIA: PECTINIDAE)

During the early development of Pecten maximus, the prototrochof the trochophore becomes the rim of the velum of the veliger.The prototroch consists of a tract of randomly-distributed cilia,but in the veliger an ordered pattern of ciliation with somecompound cilia develops. The thin epithelium connecting thevelum to the body of the larva bears no cilia, nor does theupper surface of the velum (except for an apical tuft); themuch thicker epithelium of the velum rim, however, is profuselyciliated. The cilia are arranged in five bands or rings eachextending round the rim of the velum. The ring closest to theupper (i.e. ventral) surface of the velum is the inner preoralring of single cilia. Below this are two rings of much longercilia grouped to form blade-shaped cirri, which each consistof 2 or 3 rows of 10-15 cilia. The cilia substructures indicatethat the direction of active beat of the cirrus is along theaxis of the rows. This beating generates the main swimming current.The energy demands of beating are reflected in the numerouslarge mitochondria in the cells bearing the cirri. Nerve processesin the velum may control beating. Below the cirri are an adoraltract of shorter cilia and then a ring of postoral cilia. Thevelum anatomy is that of a typical bivalve veliger, but somefeatures distinguish Pecten maximus from other bivalves. Theonfiguration of the bands of cilia and the orientation of theirbeating suggest that the veliger captures food particles bythe ‘opposed band’ method. This configuration islikely to be homologous with those of other spiralian larvae. ^*Present address: School of Biological Scrences, PortsmouthPolytechnic, King Henry I Street, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, U.K. (Received 30 September 1988; accepted 1 December 1988)     

STRUCTURE AND FORMATION OF THE BYSSUS COMPLEX IN MYTILUS (MOLLUSCA, BIVALVIA)

A review is presented of the mechanism of byssus productionin the genus Mytilus. The pedal glands which secrete the byssusmaterial are described, followed by an account of the morphology,structure and chemistry of the byssus itself. Finally, the releaseor shedding of the byssus from the pedal tissues is discussed. (Received 10 November 1981;     

ORIGIN, EVOLUTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE NEW SUPERORDER NEPIOMORPHIA (MOLLUSCA, BIVALVIA, LOWER PALAEOZOIC)

Abstract: A number of bivalve taxa defined in the past as ‘Cryptodonten’ by Neumayr, 1884 were grouped together in the high‐level taxon Palaeoconchae Neumayr, 1884. Cox (1969) noted that Palaeoconchae and Cryptodonta were synonymous and Newell (1969) used Cryptodonta as a subclass of bivalves. However, for the past 120 years, the Cryptodonta has been poorly conceptualized and the name was used for poorly understood genera or those lacking dentition. As used by Newell, Cryptodonta included taxa now placed in the subclasses Protobranchia Pelseneer and Autolamellibranchiata Grobben, and to the class Rostroconchia Pojeta, Runnegar, Morris and Newell. The bulk of Newell's use of Cryptodonta was made up of Silurian and Devonian taxa first described by Barrande (1881) from Bohemia; Newell placed these in the order Praecardioida Newell. In effect, Cryptodonta became a ‘wastebasket’ grouping for what, at the time, were poorly understood taxa. Many of the formerly poorly understood praecardioids are now better known and are herein placed in the new superorder Nepiomorphia. The Nepiomorphia contains two orders: (1) order Praecardioida that includes the families Slavidae K?í?, Cardiolidae Hoernes, Praecardiidae Hoernes and Buchiolidae Grimm; and (2) new order Antipleuroida that includes the families Stolidotidae fam. nov., Spanilidae fam. nov. and Antipleuridae Neumayr. The Nepiomorphia originated probably in the early Silurian as result of r‐selection progenesis. When the marine current system became re‐established after the late Ordovician glaciation and in the early Silurian, an at least temporary ventilation of the shallow waters by surface currents was renewed in higher latitudes of peri‐Gondwana and Siberia, producing acceptable sea‐bottom environments. Larvae were distributed by surface currents from the warm tropical regions of Laurentia and Baltica and were among the first benthic organisms to colonize the new environments. Temporary ventilation created frequent density‐independent catastrophic mortalities of early ontogenetic stages, with no competitors and with super‐abundant resources. During the Silurian and early Devonian, the Nepiomorphia underwent several diversifications in the recurring cephalopod limestone biofacies characteristic of peri‐Gondwana, and evolved infaunal, semi‐infaunal and epifaunal modes of life in several lineages. The Nepiomorphia most probably became extinct during the early Carboniferous and had no role in the future evolution of the Bivalvia.     

A GIANT LUCINID BIVALVE FROM THE EOCENE OF JAMAICA – SYSTEMATICS, LIFE HABITS AND CHEMOSYMBIOSIS (MOLLUSCA: BIVALVIA: LUCINIDAE)

Abstract:  The giant bivalve Lucina megameris Dall, 1901 , from the late Eocene White Limestone Group of Jamaica and by far the largest known species of the family Lucinidae, is placed in a new genus Superlucina . Apart from its large size, with a shell height exceeding 310 mm, it is distinguished from other genera, such as Pseudomiltha and Eomiltha by external shell characters and the extremely long and narrow, anterior adductor muscle scar. Features preserved on internal moulds suggest that, in common with living Lucinidae, S. megameris was chemosymbiotic with sulphide – oxidizing bacteria housed in the gills. Palaeoenvironmental evidence suggests a habitat in oligotrophic, shallow waters, probably in seagrass beds, with an associated molluscan fauna including large cardiids that may have been photosymbiotic. Superlucina is considerably larger than any living lucinid that range in size from 3 to 150 mm with most encompassed within 5–30 mm. From the Jurassic onwards, a few other large lucinids are known from cold seep sites, with several other records from possible shallow water seagrass beds.     

THE YELLOW PIGMENT CELLS OF HYDROBIA ULVAE (PENNANT) (MOLLUSCA : PROSOBRANCHIA)

The distribution of yellow pigment cells in the veliger larvaeand post-metamorphic snails of Hydrobia ulvae has been recorded.The number of cells increases with the size of the snail andthe pigment is characteristic of the foot of the veliger larva,and the foot, mantle, tentacles and penis of adult snails. Thecells contain numerous, double membrane-bound vesicles and havea highly granular cytoplasm. The absorption spectra of acetoneand methanolic HC1 extracts show single peaks at 337 and 392nm respectively, while chloroform extracts show peaks at 249,274 and 283 nm with an inflexion at 293 nm. The pigment hasa pale green fluorescence in ultraviolet light. The resultsof feeding and starvation experiments using larval and post-metamorphicsnails lead to the hypothesis that the pigment is a waste productof metabolism which is stored in the vesicles of the cells (Received 3 January 1979;     

MULTIPLE ORIGINS OF GENDER-ASSOCIATED MITOCHONDRIAL DNA LINEAGES IN BIVALVES (MOLLUSCA: BIVALVIA)

Previous studies have shown that marine mussels (genus Mytilus) and a freshwater mussel (Pyganodon grandis) contain two distinct gender-associated mitotypes, which is a characteristic feature of the phenomenon of doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Here we present evidence for the presence of distinct male (M) and female (F) mitotypes in three other bivalve species, the mytilid Geukensia demissa, and the unionid species P. fragilis and Fusconaia flava. Nucleotide sequences of a segment of the COI gene from the M and F mitotypes from each of the three mytilid species (M. edulis, M. trossulus, G. demissa) and three unionid species (P. grandis, P. fragilis, F. flava) were used for phylogenetic analysis. The analysis suggests three independent origins of M and F mitotypes for the six species examined; one for the three unionid species, one for the two Mytilus species, and one for Geukensia. The first of these F/M divergence events, while of uncertain age, predates the divergence of the two unionid genera and is likely older than either of the two F/M divergence events in the mytilid taxa. The most parsimonious explanation of multiple F/M divergence events is that they represent independent origins of DUI. Another possibility is that, in a given taxon, an F or M mitotype assumes the role of the opposite mitotype (by virtue of a mechanism that remains to be clarified) and subsequently was fixed within its new gender. The fixation of a mtDNA lineage derived from a mitotype of switched function would reset the divergence of the gender-associated lineages to zero, thereby mimicking a de novo split of F and M lineages from a preexisting mtDNA genome that was not gender specific. Further broad-scale taxonomic studies of the occurrence of distinct M and F mitotypes may allow for the evaluation of the latter hypothesis.     

NEW MYSIDIELLIDAE (BIVALVIA) FROM THE ANISIAN (MIDDLE TRIASSIC) OF QINGYAN, SOUTH-WEST CHINA

Abstract:  Three new genera including four new species of the bivalve family Mysidiellidae are described from late middle to early late Anisian (Middle Triassic) deposits of Qingyan, Guizhou Province, south-west China. The new taxa Leidapoconcha gigantea gen. et sp. nov., Waijiaoella elegans gen. et sp. nov., Waijiaoella speciosa gen. et sp. nov. and Qingyaniola mirabilis gen. et sp. nov. significantly increase the known taxonomic diversity within the Mysidiellidae. These findings suggest a somewhat endemic evolutionary development within this small bivalve family during the Middle Triassic in south-west China.     

日本血吸虫成虫培养细胞的超微结构观察

报告日本血吸虫成虫培养细胞的超微结构。在透射电镜下日本血吸虫成虫培养细胞呈多角形、圆颗粒形,三角扇形和鞭毛形等多种形状,其中以多角形为主。细胞表面光滑,或有乳头乳突起,微绒毛和微饮泡等。胞质内有不同数量的线粒体,内质网,核糖体和糖原颗粒等分布,高尔基复合体很少或无;其中线粒体超微结构的变化可以作为评判培养条件优劣的一个指标。核常呈圆形,核膜为一单位膜,核孔清晰;核内具较丰富的异染色质,核膜内缘常有     

DIFFERENTIATION OF SERTOLI CELLS AND POST--REPRODUCTIVE EPITHELIAL CELLS IN THE HERMAPHRODITE GLAND OF ARION ATER(L.) (MOLLUSCA, PULMONATA)

Differentiation of Sertoli cells and post-reproductive epithelialcells during development of the hermaphrodite gland has beendescribed in Arion ater (L.) at the fine structure level. Twodifferent stages of Sertoli cells, active and atrophic, arerecognized. The cytoplasm during the active stage shows highmetabolic activity by many lysosome-like inclusions and otherorganelles. The possible role of steroidogenesis of these cellsis discussed in relation to their fine structure. The post-reproductive epithelial cells appear in the gland approximatelyafter the sheddingof both spermatozoa and oocytes. These cellsmay fill the lumen of the gland and appear syncytial. ^*Present address: Department of Biology, School of Sciences,Mashad University, Mashad, Iran (Received 12 January 1979;     

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE GLAND CELLS OF THE RED ALGA ASPARAGOPSIS ARMATA (BONNEMAISONIACEAE)1

Localization of natural products in the gland cells of the tetrasporophyte of Asparagopsis armata Harvey was examined using light microscopy, epifluorescence microscopy, and TEM. A. armata produces a range of halogenated metabolites that deter herbivores and inhibit bacterial fouling. The halogenated metabolites accumulate as a refractile inclusion inside specialized gland cells and this inclusion was no longer produced when the alga was cultured without bromine. Gland cells are formed soon after the apical division and can occupy a large portion of the algal volume, up to 10% of some parts of the filament. TEM was carried out on cryofixed and freeze‐substituted samples. Ultrastructure studies revealed that gland cells are positioned inside the pericentral cell, originating from the axial cell wall. The refractile inclusion of these gland cells is comprised of numerous electron‐translucent vacuoles enclosed by an electron‐opaque matrix. Some contents of the inclusion autofluoresced under UV excitation by epifluorescence microscopy. Light microscopy further revealed that stalk‐like structures connected the gland cell to the outer wall of the pericentral cell. These stalk‐like structures may provide the mechanism for metabolite transfer to the algal surface. Gland cell walls are relatively thin, which in turn would aid the transfer of metabolites to the stalk‐like structure. These features of the gland cells provide essential clues to the production and storage of the halogenated metabolites in A. armata and offer new insights into a possible mechanism for their release.     

EVOLUTION OF THE TELLINACEA (BIVALVIA)

The suspension feeding Astartacea appear to be among the earliestheterodonts. These organisms may have given rise to the Carditaceaand the rest of the heterodonts including the Tellinacea. Paleontological evidence indicates that the earliest Tellinaceawere suspension feeders with members that lived vertically ina burrow in shifting sand. These conditions resemble those foundin species of modern Donax in the Donacidae. From a Donax-likestate of suspension feeding evolution most likely proceededto non-selective feeders. Extant organisms that resemble thisstage are found in the Solecurtidae. A later stage resemblessome of the extant Psammobiidae. The final stage in tellinaceanevolution is the acquisition of deposit feeding with its associatedmorphology. These stages are observed in the Scrobiculariidae,Tellinidae and a few members of the Semelidae. (Received 27 April 1981;     

日本血吸虫卵黄培养细胞超微结构动态的研究

从超微结构水平研究日本血吸虫卵黄细胞培养的动态。在体外培养过程中,卵黄细胞对外界环境的改变比日本血吸虫的其它体细胞更加敏感。随着培养时间的延长,卵黄细胞发生不同程度的变性,成熟卵黄细胞比未成熟卵黄细胞发生变性。变性主要表现在核和胞质的电子密度降低;卵黄球相互融合,或卵黄球与膜之间的空隙逐步增大,最终卵黄球从中释放出来,变成裸露体;脂滴数目增多,体积增大;粗面内质网扩大和囊泡变,其上的核糖体脱颗粒等     

高氏后异刺线虫肠道和生殖细胞超微结构观察

我们曾经发现雌性高氏后异刺线虫在生殖周期中,虫体的外表形态和器官结构以及细胞核内DNA含量均发生连续的变化。现在进一步对线虫细胞的超微结构进行分析,着重观察核内染色质结构的变化。前三期雌虫肠细胞核内有许多粗大的染色质团块和显著的核仁。Ⅳ期肠核内染色质团块融合成少数球体,而且不断减少,以致消失,单剩下染色质细粒(纤丝切面)。而核仁增大,结构更为复杂。卵巢细胞亦有类似改变,但末见染色质球体。雄虫并无生殖周期,也无上述变化。     

STUDIES ON THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE GUARD CELLS OF OPUNTIA

The guard cells of Opuntia contain numerous mitochondria, elements of endoplasmic reticulum, dictyosomes, and microbodies. A complex array of small to large vacuoles which contain small, membrane-bounded vesicles occur in each guard cell. The variety of cytoplasmic constituents and vacuoles suggest that the guard cells are complex in function. A highly reduced grana-fretwork system within the plastids indicates that the photosynthetic capacity of the guard cells is probably rather low. No plasmodesmata occur in the walls between the guard cells and the subsidiary cells while there are numerous invaginations of the guard cell plasmalemmas. Many of the variations in the plasmalemma probably indicate that the plasmalemma is a highly active interface.     

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LASAEA AUSTRALIS, VULSELLA SPONGIARUM, PINNA BICOLOR AND DONACILLA CUNEATA (MOLLUSCA; BIVALVIA) FROM PRINCESS ROYAL HARBOUR, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Monthly samples of L. australis, V. spongiartum, P. bicolorand D. cuneata were collected over a period of 12 months fromPrincess Royal Harbour, Western Australia. Preliminary informationon densities and biomass is given. Gonad histology points toseasonal reproductive cycles with autumn spawning in P. bicolorand D. cuneata and irregular spawning in V. spongiantm and L.australis. However, L. australis did show two peaks of larvalbrooding in the study period. Length-frequency data are discussedin the light of the proposed reproductive patterns for the fourspecies. Allometric relationships between length and both heightand width for all species are described and their value to eachspecies assessed. Populations of L. australis from differenthabitats show significant differences in shell shape. (Received 27 June 1983;     

HISTOCHEMISTRY AND ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE CRYPT CELLS IN THE DIGESTIVE GLAND OF APLYSIA PUNCTATA (CUVIER, 1803)

The crypt cells lining the Aplysia punctata digestive tubulescomprise of three types of cell; calcium, excretory, and thincells. The calcium cells play a role in osmoregulation, mineral storage,exocrine secretion, iron detoxification, and excretion processes.They possess well- developed microvilli and a basal labyrinth,suggesting a role in absorption. The Golgi apparatus is involvedin the production of two main components of calcium spherules;the fibrillar material and mineralized granules. Golgi complex,rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), ribosomes, and altered mitochondriaare involved in the formation of calcium spherules. Secretoryactivity is indicated by the formation of dense granules containingiron and calcium salts. Lipofuscin pigment has been found inlarge concretions which may arise from cytoplasmic areas surrounded byendoplasmic reticulum, RER and Golgi tubules. There are threestages of excretory cells, called early, mature, and post-excretorycells. This study traces the development of granulofibrillarvacuoles up to the formation of the lipofuscin concretions andshows that excretory cells are in fact degenerating calciumcells. The fine structure of thin cells suggests that they areyoung calcium cells. (Received 29 December 1997; accepted 15 November 1998)