Ultrastructure of spermatozoa of members of Calappidae, Aethridae and Menippidae and discussion of their phylogenetic placement

Author(s)

Camargo, Tavani Rocha ^{[1, 2]} ; Wolf, Milena Regina ^[3] ; Mantelatto, Fernando L. ^[4] ; Tudge, Christopher ^{[5, 6]} ; Zara, Fernando Jose ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista UNESP, UNESP Aquaculture Ctr CAUNESP, Dept Biol Aplicada, Lab Morfol Invertebrados IML, Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Paulista UNESP, IEAMar, FCAV, Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Estadual Paulista UNESP, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, Nucleo Estudos Biol Ecol & Cult Crustaceos NEBECC, Botucatu, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filos Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto FFCLRP, Dept Biol, Lab Bioecol & Sistemat Crustaceos LBSC, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[5] Smithsonian Inst, Natl Museum Nat Hist, Dept Invertebrate Zool, Washington, DC 20560 - USA

^[6] Amer Univ, Biol Dept, Washington, DC 20016 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ACTA ZOOLOGICA; v. 101, n. 1, p. 89-100, JAN 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 6

Abstract

The families Aethridae and Calappidae were originally considered as part of the same family; however, their morphology and molecular biology separate them into two families. In this context, we describe the ultrastructure of spermatozoa of species of the Calappidae, Aethridae and Menippidae to elucidate the relationships among taxa. The vasa deferentia were submitted to routine protocols for transmission electron microscopy. Our results indicate that the morphology of the spermatozoa of Hepatus pudibundussupports its exclusion from the Superfamily Calappoidea due to the presence of the apical striated layer. The spermatozoa of Menippe nodifrons is very similar to H. pudibundus and corroborates the recent phylogenetic analysis using sequence data of nuclear genes. Moreover, our results evidence two morphological patterns of spermatozoa within Calappidae. Calappa ocellata and C. cinerea show spermatozoa with a wide acrosome vesicle, a thick operculum shaped as a shallow ``W{''} and a large thickened ring. Calappa gallusand C. hepatica show spermatozoa with a longer acrosome vesicle, a pointed operculum and a slender thickened ring. Our ultrastructure results conform with previous molecular proposal and show that spermatozoa ultrastructure can be an effective tool to adjust phylogenetic relationship when used in association with molecular data. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/11182-0 - Bioprospecting of antioxidant compounds in the by-catch of demersal fishing and use of these biomolecules as nutraceuticals in aquaculture
• Grantee: Tavani Rocha Camargo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 10/50188-8 - Decapod crustaceans: multi-disciplinary characterization of the sea biodiversity of the State of São Paulo (taxonomy, spermiotaxonomy, molecular biology and population dynamics)
• Grantee: Fernando Luis Medina Mantelatto
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants