Ultrastructure of the sperm of jellyfishes (Scyphozoa and Cubozoa, Medusozoa, Cnidaria) from the east coast of Australia and comparison with Brazilian species

• Grant number: 15/15527-0
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal researcher: André Carrara Morandini
• Grantee: Gisele Rodrigues Tiseo
• Supervisor abroad: Peter Lynton Harrison
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Southern Cross University (SCU), Australia
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/08785-0 - Ultrastructure of spermatozoa of species of jellyfish (Scyphozoa and Cubozoa, Medusozoa, Cnidaria) of the Brazilian Coast, BP.MS

Abstract

The present project aims to describe the general and ultrastructural morphology of the spermatozoon of jellyfishes species from the coast of Australia. The chosen species (Cassiopea sp., Cyanea rosea, Carukia barnesi and Chironex fleckeri) are the most common species found over the eastern coast and represent different groups of scyphomedusae and cubomedusae. Characters of the spermatozoa of each species will be listed, highlighting possible synapomorfies of different hierarchical levels. For light microscopy, samples of gonadal tissue will be preserved in 4% paraformaldehyde prepared in ltered seawater from the collecting site and buffered with 0.2 M sodium phosphate solution (pH 7.2) for 24 hours. After fixation, the samples will be processed accordingly to the usual light microscopy protocols. For transmission electronic microscopy fragments of the gonadal tissue will be fixed in modified Karnovsky solution (2.5% glutaraldehyde with 2% paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M sodium cacodylate buffer (pH 7.4) with 2.5 mM of CaCl2 and saccharose). After that, the samples will be processed accordingly to the transmission electroninc microscopy protocols and the description of the general and ultrastructural features will be based in the presence or absence of certain characters already described in spermatozoa of Scyphozoa and Cubozoa. (AU)