Ultrastructure spermatozoa analysis of species of the genus Codakia (Lucinidae, Bivalvia) from North Coast of São Paulo state

• Grant number: 16/05529-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2016
• End date: December 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Shirlei Maria Recco-Pimentel
• Grantee: Isabela Perin Corbo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The spermatozoa of the genus Codakia, Lucinidae family, will be described using the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). There is controversy about the phylogenetic relationships in the superfamily Lucinoidea, which once included six families (Lucinidae, Fimbriidae, Thyasiridae, Ungulinidae, Mactromyidae and Cyrenoididae), however, by molecular analysis, currently comprises only two, Lucinidae and Thyasiridae. The Lucinidae family species have similarities in anatomy and in shell, making it difficult to differentiate, and an exciting feature of this group is the symbiosis with bacteria, also present in Fimbriidae and in some species of Thyasiridae. Based on this feature and on morphology, and more recently molecular, several conflicting proposals were made on the relationships among these families. So, in this study will be analyzed the ultrastructure of spermatozoa of two species of the genus Codakia (C. pectinella and C. costata) occurring on the coast of São Paulo State, in the expectation of obtaining data that can distinguish them and contribute to future phylogenetic analysis seeking a better understanding of inter- and intrafamily relationships of Lucinidae.