Macroscopic and histological characterization of the seminal receptacles in Libinia spinosa (Majoidea).

GONZÁLEZ PISANI XIMENA; BARÓN P.; LOPÉZ GRECO LAURA

La Serena

Congreso; Mid-Year Meeting of the Crustacean Society.; 2007

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0pt; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 85.05pt 70.85pt 85.05pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Within the framework of the study about the reproductive biology of the Majoidea from Patagonia, the aim of the present work was to characterize the morphology of the seminal receptacles (SR) in Libinia spinosa and to establish the relationship between the macroscopic and the histological structure. For this purpose we established four groups of SR according to the their shape: collapsed (I), flattened (II), partially swollen (III) and fully swollen (IV). Females were collected in golfo Nuevo, (42º S) Argentina. Eight sexually mature females were selected according to the mentioned groups. The SR were classified, dissected, and processed using the usual histological techniques for light microscopy. Histologically, the SR present an ectodermic portion delimited by a monolayer of cylindrical cells covered by a layer of cuticle whose thickness increases significantly towards the vagina. The mesodermic portion is lined by a cubic-cylindrical stratified descamative epithelium where the anchoring, proliferative and secretory strata were recognised. In the transition ecto-mesoderm the presence of folds and “velum” was observed, a character that L. spinosa shares with Inachus plalangium. The macroscopic differences were correlated with histological variations only when comparing the SR type (I-II) versus (III-IV) according to the degree of folding in the ecto-mesoderm transition and the thickness of the stratified epithelium Based on the macroscopic and microscopic observations, the connection of the oviduct to the SR is intermediate to ventral type, therefore our first prediction is that L. spinosa would present a system of copula of type “hardmating system”. Anyway from this study we address the necessity to revaluate and discuss the concept of “dorsal” and “ventral” type of SR within Eubrachyura.