Spermatic storage in the gastropod Pomacea canaliculata: Structural indicators of functional activity.

CATALÁN M; WINIK BC; FERNÁNDEZ SN

Córdoba

Congreso; First Meeting of Argentine Biology Societies; 2008

Sociedades de Biología de la República Argentina

SPERMATIC STORAGE ORGANS IN THE GASTROPOD Pomacea canaliculata: STRUCTURAL INDICATORS OF FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY Catalán M, Winik B, Fernández S. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML. UNT. E-mail: catalan@csnat.unt.edu.ar Pomacea canaliculata female’s, that mates and egg-lays several times during the reproductive season, have the capacity to preserve viable sperms for long periods of time. The aim of this work is to analize the functional activity of the copulatrix bursa and seminal receptacle on the basis of its ultrastructural characteristics. Samples were conventionally processed for transmission electronic microscopy. The copulatrix bursa would be the primary sperm storage organ. Its location in the terminal end of the spermatic channel and the presence of a microvilliar epithelium constitute morphological indicators of its participation in the reception and concentration of the ejaculate. The secondary sperm storage organ would be the seminal receptacle that exhibits a glandular region with sacs lined by ciliated and secretory cells and a microvilliar region which stores eupyrene sperms and apyrene parasperms. Glandular region secretions would favor spermatic survival and the provision of a suitable ambient for the fertilization of oocytes coming from the renal oviduct. The thick muscular cover surrounding the seminal receptacle would drive the entrance of fertilized oocytes to the shell glandular duct. Multiple coupling, spermatic storage in sacciform organs and the sperm prolonged viability would promote clutch multiple paternity, thus facilitating oocyte insemination with sperm coming from different males.