Morfología del espermatóforo en la langosta de agua dulce Cherax quadricarinatus (Decapoda, Parastacidae).

LÓPEZ GRECO, L.S; LO NOSTRO, F.L. Y F.J. VAZQUEZ. 2006.

IV CONGRESO VIRTUAL DE ACUICULTURA

REVISTA AQUATIC

Lugar: ZARAGOZA; Año: 2006 p. 165 - 170

Morphology of the spermatophore in the freshwater crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (Astacida, Parastacidae) The aim of this study was to characterize the structure of the spermatophore in Cherax quadricarinatus once it has been transferred to the sternal surface of the female during mating. Six mating groups were maintained in glass aquaria and females were daily checked to determine the presence of spermatophores. The form, colour and consistence were recorded and then the spermatophores were fixed, cut and stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Alcian Blue, periodic acid Schiff and Masson-Trichrome. Within the first 24 to 48 hs post mating the spermatophore is a solid and intense white colour structure tightly attached to the female. After 72 hs it acquires slack aspect and begins to disaggregate occurring its complete dehiscense between 96 to 120 hs post mating. From the histological point of view, the primary layer maintains its integrity surrounding the spermatozoa while the secondary layer loses the citoplasmatic spheres. The spermatophore begins to hydrate between 24-48 hs post mating while since 72-96 hs many section of the sperm cord began to coalesce. From 48 hs post mating some fissures begin to appear within the matrix of the secondary layer that enlarged between 72 to 120 hs. The histological sections of the spermatophore show that it is an non-regionalized and compact structure until its fissure. We proposed that both manipulation by the female and hidratation of the spermatophore are the mechanisms involved in the releasing of the spermatozoa allowing the fecundation of the oocytes.