“Morphology of testes, vasa deferentia and spermatophores in the freshwater crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus (Parastacidae)”

LÓPEZ G. LS, CHAULET A, VAZQUEZ FJ, RODRÍGUEZ EM

Santinho, Florianópolis, Brasil

Congreso; 3rd Brazilian Crustacean Congress and 2004 TCS Summer Meeting; 2004

Sociedad Brasilera de Carcinología

The morphology of the adult male reproductive system was studied in C. quadricarinatus. The testes and vasa deferentia of six adult males were dissected, measured, fixed in Bouin solution, cut and stained with haematoxilin-eosin. Testes were seen as two parallel, opalescent strands, round-shaped in transverse section, with a total length ranging from 40 to 50 mm. They presented many testicular lobes, each lobe containing cells in the same stage of the spermatogenic cycle.  Neighbouring lobes showed different spermatogenic stages, tough. At the basis of each lobe, many Sertoli cells were found. A vas deferens was recognized arising from the external side of each testis;  three parts were clearly distinguished: proximal (PVD), middle (MVD) and distal (DVD). The PVD showed an opalescent and highly convoluted appearance, the MVD also presented a pale-white colour and a convoluted aspect, but a wider diameter than PVD, while the DVD showed the widest diameter (approximately 6 mm), a straight length and a milky-white colour. A single-layered epithelium was histologically recognized in the vas deferens; cylindrical cells were observed in PVD, while cubic cells in VDM and VDD. The formation and coiling of the spermatophore seems to start at the PVD (primary layer), while the secondary layer of the spermatophore seems to be added at MVD. At the DVD, the  highly coiled spermatophore is surrounded by the sticky components of the secondary layer.