Spermatozoa and sperm packages of the European troglophylous scorpion Belisarius xambeui Simon, 1879 (Troglotayosicidae, Scorpiones) |
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Authors: | Vignoli V Klann A E Michalik P |
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Institution: | aDipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy;bZoologisches Institut und Museum, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, J.-S.-Bach-Str. 11/12, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany |
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Abstract: | Studies on the sperm morphology in scorpions are rare, but the existing investigations already revealed a remarkable interfamiliar diversity. The present study reports for the first time on the spermatozoa and sperm packages of a representative of the family Troglotayosicidae, the troglophylous species Belisarius xambeui. The spermatozoa are characterized by (1) a thread-like nucleus, which is slightly bent anteriorly; (2) an asymmetrical cap-like acrosomal vacuole, which encloses the anterior tip of the nucleus; an acrosomal filament is absent; (3) an axoneme with a 9 + 0 microtubular pattern; (4) a midpiece consisting of elongated mitochondria coiling around the axoneme; the number can vary between 3 and 6 (mostly 4). At the end of spermiogenesis, the spermatozoa aggregate in order to form oval-shaped sperm packages in which all sperm cells show the same orientation. A single package consists of approximately 150 sperms. A secretion sheath is always absent. The present results might provide new characters for further systematic studies and their phylogenetic implications are briefly discussed. |
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Keywords: | Sperm ultrastructure Sperm aggregation Phylogeny Taxonomy Arachnida |
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