SURFACE ULTRASTRUCTURE AND HISTOCHEMISTRY OF THE SCOLEX GLANDS OF Clestobothrium cristinae (CESTODA: BOTHRIOCEPHALIDEA) PARASITE OF Merluccius hubssi (TELEOSTEI)

MUTTI, L.D.; IVANOV, V. A.

CABA

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2017

Sociedades de Biociencias

Clestobothrium cristinae (Cestoda: Bothriocephalidea) is an intestinalparasite of the hake Merluccius hubssi (Teleostei).Thescolex of the tapeworms is the principal attachment organ. In C.cristinae it possesses an apical disk and two bothria. It is coveredwith capilliform filitriches and gladiate spinitriches, and possessestumuli (frontal glands type I) in the proximal bothrial surface. In thisstudy the internal morphology of all these structures and the natureof the secretions of the glands in the scolex are described for thefirst time in Clestobothrium. Ten scolices were stained with severalhistochemical techniques: coomassie brilliant blue, periodic acid-Schiff and toluidine blue. One worm was analyzed using conventionaltechniques for transmission electron microscopy. As a result,the internal ultrastructure of the tumuli, and the internal structureof gladiate spinitriches in this genus are described. Groups of cellsPAS positive were observed in the same area where the tumuli weredescribed using SEM. It is possible that these groups of gland cellsare in fact a constitutive part of the so called tumuli; however, the internalstructure is different from the tumuli described in other generaof bothriocephalideans. The secretion is based on mucopolysaccharide,which might indicate they are involved in the adhesion to theintestinal mucosa of the hake.