The Presence of Ejaculatory Bulbs in Vasa Deferentia: A Well-Preserved Trait Among Alpheoid Shrimps (Crustacea, Caridea, Alpheoidea)

Autor(es)

Paschoal, Lucas Rezende Penido ; Nogueira, Caio Santos ; Zara, Fernando Jose

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: LIFE-BASEL; v. 15, n. 6, p. 17-pg., 2025-06-11.

Resumo

The superfamily Alpheoidea comprises eight families: Alpheidae, Barbouriidae, Bythocarididae, Hippolytidae, Lysmatidae, Merguiidae, Ogyrididae and Thoridae. Alpheoids are characterized by possessing two pairs of chelate pereopods, a multiarticulate carpus on pereopod 2, and a narrow strip as the last article on maxilliped 2. However, during the inspection of the reproductive system (RS) of several alpheoids, we consistently observed the presence of ejaculatory bulbs (EBs) in vasa deferentia (VDs) of these shrimps. To investigate whether the presence of EBs in the RS is a conserved trait among Alpheoidea representatives, we analyzed as many species as possible along the Brazilian coast: Alpheidae-5 genera, 19 spp., Hippolytidae-2 genera, 2 spp., Lysmatidae-2 genera, 10 spp., Merguiidae-1 genus, 1 sp., Ogyrididae-1 genus, 2 spp., and Thoridae-1 genus, 1 sp. In addition, we examined representatives of the superfamilies Atyoidea (1 family, 2 genera, 2 spp.), Nematocarcinoidea (1 family, 1 genus, 2 spp.), Palaemonoidea (2 families, 4 genera, 4 spp.) and Processoidea (1 family, 2 genera, 2 spp.) to determine whether EB are present in these groups. Among the groups analyzed, except for the family Alpheidae, most species of alpheoids exhibit an expansion on the ventral portion of the VD in continuity with the lumen of the vas deferens, i.e., the EB. This structure increases the surface area of the VD, consequently increasing the quantity of the seminal material to be ejaculated onto the female. We did not observe the presence of EB in any other of the analyzed superfamilies, suggesting that this structure is exclusive in Alpheoidea. In conclusion, the presence of EB in VD appears to be an exclusive trait in Alpheoidea, being considered a well-preserved synapomorphic trait in this group, except in the family Alpheidae that do not harbor EB, representing a plesiomorphic condition within this superfamily. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 22/09727-0 - Análise evolutiva do sistema reprodutor masculino em Caridea (Decapoda: Pleocyemata) por meio de uma abordagem integrativa
• Beneficiário: Lucas Rezende Penido Paschoal
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 24/01947-6 - Morfologia larval de camarões carídeos: aplicação de diferentes ferramentas microscópicas para taxonomia e sistemática
• Beneficiário: Fernando Jose Zara
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 18/13685-5 - Análise integrativa da fauna brasileira de crustáceos decápodes: taxonomia, sistemática filogenética, espermiotaxonomia, morfologia do desenvolvimento pós-embrionário, ecologia e conservação
• Beneficiário: Fernando Luis Medina Mantelatto
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 23/01445-8 - Ultraestrutura dos espermatozoides de camarões carídeos do Brasil: uma abordagem taxonômica moderna pela integração morfológica e filogenética
• Beneficiário: Caio dos Santos Nogueira
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado