BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 August 2005 ULTRASTRUCTURE OF MALE GENITAL SYSTEM AND SPERMATOZOA OF A MEXICAN CAMEL-SPIDER OF THE EREMOBATES PALLIPES SPECIES GROUP (ARACHNIDA, SOLIFUGAE)
Anja E. Klann, Alfredo V. Peretti, Gerd Alberti
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The male genital system of Solifugae is divided into three different parts: a) a common genital chamber, b) the paired tubular vasa deferentia and c) the long, thin testes. On each side, the vas deferens splits into two smaller branches resulting in the thin, extremely long testes such that one individual possesses four tubular testes in total. The epithelium of a testis consists mainly of a glandular part and of a germinal part surrounded by a small layer of muscles. In Eremobates sp., within the germinal part the sperm cells are groups of a few, probably four, mature sperm cells each surrounded by thin extensions of somatic cells. These somatic cells can clearly be distinguished from the cells forming the glandular part which contain large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Once released into the narrow testicular lumen, the spermatozoa float more or less individually in a proteinaceous secretion. Earlier stages of spermatogenesis could not be detected, suggesting that spermatogenesis may occur in the subadult male (not examined in this study). In general, the sperm is rather simple, representing a round or slightly elongated cell devoid of a flagellum. The relatively small and flat acrosomal vacuole is attached to the disc-like nucleus. The acrosomal filament penetrates the nucleus and is coiled several times around it. In contrast to species of the family Ammotrechidae or Karschiidae, for which sperm cells have already been described, the sperm cells of the Mexican Eremobates sp., which belongs to the family Eremobatidae, show no tendency to form any piles or well ordered groups in the lumen of either the testes or the vasa deferentia.

Anja E. Klann, Alfredo V. Peretti, and Gerd Alberti "ULTRASTRUCTURE OF MALE GENITAL SYSTEM AND SPERMATOZOA OF A MEXICAN CAMEL-SPIDER OF THE EREMOBATES PALLIPES SPECIES GROUP (ARACHNIDA, SOLIFUGAE)," The Journal of Arachnology 33(2), 613-621, (1 August 2005). https://doi.org/10.1636/04-111.1
Received: 21 December 2004; Published: 1 August 2005
KEYWORDS
genital system
Solifugae
sperm cell
systematics
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top